A family’s spring break trip turned into a life-threatening situation after a parent fell more than 70 feet during a hike in Utah. The incident happened on April 10 in the Pritchett Canyon area near Moab, where the family of four had been exploring the rugged terrain while on vacation.

According to search and rescue officials, the family had traveled into the canyon using off-road vehicles before deciding to stop and hike to a higher vantage point to view Cummings Arch. During the hike, the group split into two, with one parent and one child moving ahead while the other parent and child followed behind.

At some point, the parent who was trailing behind got too close to the edge of a cliff and fell. No one in the group actually witnessed the fall, but one of the children heard screaming and ran to alert the other parent that something had gone wrong.

After falling an estimated 70 to 80 feet, the parent continued to tumble down the rocky terrain for roughly another 50 feet before coming to rest in a sloped sandstone gully. The terrain in the area is known to be deceptive, with surfaces that appear gradual but quickly drop off into steep cliffs.

The other parent was able to contact emergency responders by using a satellite feature on a cellphone to send a message to 911. Search and rescue teams were dispatched and were able to locate the injured individual relatively quickly. A helicopter was used in the response and landed approximately 150 yards from the victim.

Once responders reached the scene, they determined that the rescue would be complex due to the steep and unstable terrain. Crews used technical rope systems, including webbing, carabiners, anchoring bolts, and descent devices, to safely reach and secure the injured parent. The individual had suffered serious injuries, including broken bones and possible internal trauma, and had to be placed in a rescue litter for extraction.

After being carefully moved up to a landing zone, the injured parent was loaded onto a medical helicopter and transported to a nearby trauma center. Officials described the condition as critical following the incident.

The entire rescue operation took several hours to complete, as crews worked to safely navigate the challenging landscape and prevent further injury during the extraction process.

Authorities noted that the exact cause of the fall is unknown. They also emphasized that cliffs in the Moab area can be especially dangerous because they may appear safe at first before suddenly becoming steep and hazardous.

Officials are reminding hikers to exercise caution when exploring unfamiliar terrain, particularly in areas with uneven ground and hidden drop-offs. They stress that even experienced hikers can encounter dangerous conditions and that taking proper precautions is essential when navigating remote landscapes.

Source: AZFamily