Man Rescued Mid-Fall in Yellowstone's Grand Canyon

Sunday, May 10, 2015: A 71-year-old New York man was attempting to take a picture of a sign at Grand View at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone when he stumbled backwards over a stone barrier and into the canyon.

He dropped about 25 feet before he was able to stop himself at the top of a precipice by bracing his body and feet on opposing sides of a small crevice. A visitor that witnessed the man’s fall ran to a nearby parking lot to call 911.

Park staff and the Yellowstone Technical Rescue Team secured ropes and pulleys to a nearby tree and sign. One of the rescue team then harnessed himself to the rope and descended to the man’s location. With assistance from the ropes, pulleys, and ranger, the man was then able to walk to safety.

The Fallen Man was Extremely Lucky

The crevice and the angle of his body during the fall helped the man stop at the top of a 200 foot drop. A fall just inches to the left may have resulted in death but instead he just suffered a hip injury.

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Source: NPS Press Release