UTAH COUNTY, Utah — A Utah man is on the road to recovery after suffering serious injuries in a fall while hiking Mount Timpanogos, and his friends said the response from the hiking community has been overwhelming.
Chris Anderson, an experienced hiker who regularly hikes Utah’s trails, was hiking with a group of friends Sunday when he slipped and fell near the summit.
"Chris does this at least once a week, if not twice," said family friend Heidi Humes. "He goes every Thursday and Sunday, and he has a group of people who go and hike. They have a blast."
Bystander was in right place, right time to save a life in Big Cottonwood Canyon:
Humes, who has known Anderson and his family for more than 20 years, described him as "the salt of the earth."
Among those hiking with Anderson that day was friend Russ Barton, who shared how the situation quickly turned frightening.
"We got kind of close to the summit and when it happened, he slipped and fell, and it was pretty scary," Barton said.
According to Barton, Anderson fell roughly 100 yards or more down the mountain.
Hikers along the trail rushed to help. Friends and fellow hikers worked together to carry Anderson down the mountainside before he was flown by helicopter to the hospital.
"We were able to carry him down the side of the mountain and get him into the helicopter," Barton said. "I just think it's miraculous. Seeing the fall, I'm just glad he's going to recover."
Anderson suffered multiple serious injuries, including broken ribs, spine fractures, a bruised lung and a fractured jaw. Despite the extent of his injuries, family members and friends say he is already making progress.
"He's awake; he was able to get out of bed and walk a little bit," Humes said. "I'm so happy he's doing OK. He's doing good."
As Anderson begins what is expected to be a lengthy recovery, friends say support has poured in from hiking groups, runners, coworkers, and community members across Utah.
"Groups from all over, hiking and running, friends here at USANA, it's like a whirlwind," Barton said.
Humes said donations and messages of encouragement have flooded in since the accident, and a GoFundMe page was started to help with costs.
"It's been amazing honestly," she said. "I woke up this morning to 17 texts from donations from just the people that he goes and hikes with."
Friends describe Anderson as determined and resilient, saying his positive attitude, combined with the support of the outdoor community, will help carry him through the recovery process.