A 38-year-old woman who fell 50 feet off the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park survived the ordeal without life-threatening injuries and was lifted back to the rim by rangers.
The unidentified woman fell from the rim near Mather Point about 4 p.m. Thursday. Park visitors who witnessed the fall quickly called the Grand Canyon Regional Communications Center, which dispatched rangers to the site. Upon arriving at the scene, park rangers found the woman about a quarter-mile west of Mather Point. She was approximately 50 feet below the rim.
Rescue personnel rappelled down to the woman and secured her so that they could assess her injuries. Once she was stable enough to move, the woman was packaged in a litter, and park staff used a rope haul system to pull her up to the rim. She was back on the rim by 6:30 p.m.
The woman was transported by Classic Lifeguard Aeromedical Service to the Flagstaff Medical Center where she is being treated for unidentified non-life-threatening injuries.
The National Park Service encourages all visitors to enjoy Grand Canyon’s spectacular views from the safety of the paved paths and developed overlooks, and to always use extreme caution when hiking near or approaching the edge.
Comments
I visited the Grand Canyon in the '90s and was awe struck at the power and beauty mother nature has given us.
I was, however, appalled at the parents who let very young children run and chase each other just a few feet from the edge at what I believe was Mathers point. I was so distressed at the possibility of one or more of these children going over the edge that I insisted we leave early.
I agree that everyone should visit the Grand Canyon at least once in their life. It is truly a masterpiece that everyone should experience, so put it on your bucket list.
I'm curious as to how it is that she managed to fall all that distance and not get killed. What was the trajectory of the fall and the nature of the rocks, and outcrops and shrubbery/trees that cushioned her fall? How did she land? Truly a one in a billion chance of surviving a 50 ft fall. I hope she realizes how lucky she is.