A boy survived a 100-foot Grand Canyon fall after moving out of the way for other tourists taking photos

Fern McErlane
·3 min read
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A boy survived a 100-foot Grand Canyon fall after moving out of the way for other tourists taking photos

  • Wyatt Kauffman, 13, fell 100 feet down into the Grand Canyon on Tuesday.

  • He told KPNX he'd been trying to avoid other tourists taking photos at the popular attraction site.

  • It took two hours for Wyatt to be rescued, but he has since been discharged from the hospital.

A 13-year-old boy survived a 100-foot fall at the Grand Canyon, which resulted in a two-hour rescue mission that felt like "an eternity," his father told local Phoenix news station KPNX.

Dozens of emergency workers rushed to pull Wyatt Kauffman back to safety after he fell from a ledge at the tourist attraction's North Rim on Tuesday, according to a statement on the National Park Service website.

The boy was airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital suffering serious injuries, but he has since been discharged and is traveling home to Casselton, North Dakota, his father Brian Kauffman told KPNX.

"I was up on the ledge and was moving out of the way so other people could take a picture," Wyatt told the outlet. He said he had been holding onto a rock with one hand, but didn't have a good grip and began to fall back.

"After the fall, I don't remember anything after that," he told KPNX in a video interview while still in a hospital bed. The outlet also reported that he was treated for nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, a concussion, a broken hand, and a dislocated finger.

Wyatt's father Brian told the station that he was at home in North Dakota when he received "one of the most heart-wrenching phone calls I've ever had."

"We're just lucky we're bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box," he added.

He also expressed his gratitude for the park rangers who had rushed to his son's rescue.

"We're extremely grateful for the work of everyone. Two hours is an eternity in a situation like that," he went on to say in his KPNX interview.

In a statement from the Grand Canyon National Park's Search and Rescue Team (SAR), they said that it was determined a helicopter rescue wouldn't be possible. Wyatt was instead raised to the rim by a basket and ropes, where he was then flown to a pediatric trauma center, the statement added.

The SAR statement said it responds to on average more than 300 calls for service per year, with incidents ranging from heat illness to falls like Wyatt's. It added that successful rescues such as this case highlight the skill of all personnel involved, and how necessary they are at the park.

Meghan Smith, Preventative Search and Rescue Supervisor, said: "It's clear that their training and hard work paid off, leading to a smooth, timely operation that will no doubt lead to better outcomes for this patient."

Official park guidance for Bright Angel Point, where the accident took place, states that though the trail is both beautiful and popular, it's also "surprisingly steep" and drops off dramatically on both sides in some places.

Grand Canyon National Park Emergency Services did not respond to a request for comment. Brian Kauffman could not be reached for comment.

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