The man was airlifted to safety with Mooney Falls in the background. Photo: Matthew Putesoysr // Facebook
A man was rescued last week after being seriously injured in a fall while hiking the Grand Canyon. The remote area necessitated a tricky air rescue, carried out by local search and rescue teams and assisted by bystanders.
The unnamed hiker was near Mooney Falls on March 20 when the incident took place, as SFGate reports. According to the publication, the section of the canyon is remote – only accessible from the bottom of the canyon. To get to the base of the falls, hikers must descend a slippery trail using chains and ladders affixed to the canyon walls.
In a comment on a Facebook video of the rescue, Domenica Celestina Roe wrote that the man was her father, and elaborated on the series of events that led to the rescue. “My dad is 62 and had the physical fitness to make the descent down to the falls no problem (although as an experienced outdoor climber, I will say it is objectively sketchy. The fixed gear is not well maintained and it is wet and slippery with mud),” she wrote. “While hanging out at the bottom, he fell and broke his back on a rock. He is going to be ok and should make a full recovery.”
Luckily, the section of canyon where the man fell was accessible by helicopter, and the video shows Grand Canyon National Park search and rescue performing the difficult air rescue.
“This was an accident that could have happened anywhere to anyone (although a good reminder to always have your wits about you!),” continued Roe. “However because it happened HERE, where the only way out was climbing back up that ladder, a moment of clumsiness became a survival situation. We were extremely lucky the NPS responded to the call quickly and were able to figure out how to get to us down there. I am so grateful to everyone who helped us out.”
