North Dakota Adolescent Survives Near 100-Foot Plunge at Grand Canyon’s North Rim

North Dakota Adolescent Survives Near 100-Foot Plunge at Grand Canyon’s North Rim

A 13-year-old boy from North Dakota has managed to survive a nearly 100-foot drop at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon while vacationing with his family.

Officials reported that emergency teams spent around two hours rescuing Wyatt Kauffman after he slipped and fell from a cliff on Tuesday, plummeting almost 100 feet (equivalent to about 30 meters) along the Bright Angel Point trail.

The young teen was subsequently airlifted to a hospital in Las Vegas, where he received treatment for a total of nine fractured vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, a concussion, as well as a broken hand and a dislocated finger.

“I was standing on the ledge, trying to move aside for others to take a photo,” Kauffman recounted to Phoenix TV station KPNX. “I crouched down and gripped onto a rock. My hold on it wasn’t very secure. It kind of slipped me backwards. I lost my grasp and started falling.”

Rescue teams had to descend the cliff using ropes to extract the injured teenager from the canyon, employing a basket for the evacuation.

“I just vaguely remember regaining consciousness, being in an ambulance, then a helicopter, and finally on a plane before arriving at the hospital,” said Kauffman, who resides in Casselton, North Dakota.

Upon learning of his son’s fall and subsequent rescue, Brian Kauffman, who was in North Dakota at the time, expressed his gratitude.

A National Park Service search and rescue unit established a rope-assisted retrieval along the steep and narrow trail, successfully hoisting the teenager back to safety on the rim.

“We are incredibly thankful for the efforts of everyone involved. In a situation like that, two hours feels like an eternity,” remarked Brian Kauffman.

He mentioned that Wyatt and his mother were on a journey to explore national parks when the incident occurred at the Grand Canyon.

Brian Kauffman shared that his son was released from the hospital on Saturday and was en route back home. Wyatt and his mother were projected to arrive in Casselton by Tuesday.

“We consider ourselves fortunate that we are driving our child home in a car, sitting in the front seat, rather than bringing him back in a casket,” Brian Kauffman expressed to KPNX.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Canyon fall rescue