A parent survived a fall of up to 80 feet during a family hike in Utah, turning a spring break outing into a major rescue operation.
The incident happened April 10 in Pritchett Canyon near Moab, an area known for its rugged sandstone terrain and steep drop-offs. The two parents and two children parked their two motorcycles, both with side-by-sides, near Pritchett Arch in Pritchett Canyon, where they stopped to walk around, the Grand County Search and Rescue revealed Monday.
The family started walking toward a higher viewpoint when they split into two groups, with one parent and child moving ahead while the other duo followed behind. While hiking, the trailing parent reportedly got too close to the edge of a cliff and fell an estimated 70 to 80 feet before tumbling another 50 feet down slickrock. No one saw the fall happen, but one of the kids heard screams and ran to alert the other parent, who then texted 911, thanks to the satellite function on their iPhone.
A rescue helicopter arrived within about five minutes and landed roughly 150 yards from the injured hiker, according to rescuers. Specialized climbing teams were brought in and eventually located the parent in a steep, sloped area of the canyon. Due to the difficult terrain, responders used drilled rock anchors and rope systems to safely reach and extract the patient.
Crews carried out a technical rope rescue using equipment such as ropes, webbing, carabiners, anchoring bolts and descent devices, with the full operation taking about three hours.
Once they reached the victim, responders found the patient had suffered severe injuries, including open fractures and possible internal trauma, and described the injuries as extensive. A medical helicopter was then requested to assist with urgent transport.
Officials also used another helicopter from the Utah Department of Public Safety to help retrieve search-and-rescue personnel and equipment from the canyon and take them back to the operations center after the rescue was completed.
The injured adult was airlifted to a trauma center in critical condition following the rescue, officials said. Their current condition has not been released.
The Independent has contacted GCSAR for comment.
The agency later warned the public that Moab’s canyon terrain can be deceptively hazardous, noting that slick sandstone can appear stable before suddenly dropping off into steep cliffs.
“So many of us enjoy the wilderness that surrounds the Moab area,” the agency said in a Facebook post. “The ubiquitous advice to ‘Be Careful’ is sound and sometimes bad things happen to good people. GCSAR wishes the family the best of luck moving forward.”
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