Utah hiker slips, falls more than 100 feet — and survives
A man hiking in the foothills just north of Salt Lake City on Sunday survived after plunging more than 100 feet and remaining stranded for hours on a cliff ledge after losing his phone in the fall, authorities said.
The 29-year-old hiker had been walking near the base of Ensign Peak, about a mile from the state Capitol, when he slipped, NBC affiliate KSL reported.
“He misstepped, got too close to the edge and took a slide and tumble halfway down the cliff base into the rock quarry,” Salt Lake City Fire Department Batallion Chief Mark Bednarik said, according to the station.
The man, who was not identified, injured his pelvis and leg in the fall, the department said.
This morning SLC Fire’s Heavy Rescue Team rescued a 29 yr. old male hiking in the area that fell more than 100 feet landing on a cliff ledge. He sustained injuries to his pelvis and leg. After losing his phone he was stuck on the mountain for over 5 hours before 911 was called. pic.twitter.com/22xG2ExzAI
— Salt Lake City Fire Department (@slcfire) December 27, 2020
Images posted by the department showed the hiker perched at the edge of another steep drop-off.
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Unable to move, he remained there for five hours after losing his phone, the department said. KSL reported that a group of homeless people heard him yelling and called 911.
Video showed rescue workers with harnesses lowering the man down the rest of the cliff.