SPRINGDALE, Utah — A rock climber had to be hoisted to safety via helicopter Sunday in Zion National Park.
The Utah Department of Public Safety sent a helicopter rescue crew to Kolob Canyon, where a climber had fallen. The DPS said he was climbing alone and sustained multiple injuries.
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"He was about 130 feet off the ground on the side of a cliff," said Sgt. Wyatt Weber, a tactical flight officer with the Utah DPS Aero Bureau. "He had fallen about 30 feet and caught a small ledge where he was able to stay on that ledge for the rest of the evening... Had he not caught that little ledge, it would have been another 100+ plus feet to the ground and probably a lot worse outcome.”
Video below: Helicopter rescue crew responds to injured, stranded climber
The DPS said park rangers located the man and guided the helicopter crew to him.
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It wasn't stated how serious his injuries were, but the DPS said he was "safe at the LZ [landing zone]."
The DPS said the climber had to spend the night on the cliff and he was not prepared.
“Just go out, be prepared, understand what your limitations are and then stop early and call early," Weber said. “Don’t be afraid to call for help, [and] let people know where you’re going so we can find you quicker.”
