Rescuers save Utah climber after fall

The Salt Lake Tribune

ZION NATIONAL PARK, Utah — An injured climber was rescued in Zion National Park Tuesday morning after falling while rappelling the night before.

Park spokesman Ron Terry said the 47-year-old man, whose identity was not released, was canyoneering with a partner in Pine Canyon Monday evening, adjacent to the mile-long Zion Tunnel, when he fell 30 feet.

Terry said the victim's partner notified park officials about the accident just before 8 p.m. Monday. The injured man was stabilized at the scene later that night and was rescued by park rangers about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Rescuers hauled the victim up a cliff face in a stretcher and brought him in through a window cut in the Zion Tunnel to a waiting ambulance. Terry said it appeared the man suffered leg and pelvis injuries in the fall. The victim was taken to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.

Terry said he did not know the cause of the accident.

In June, a 48-year-old California man died after falling 300 feet while rappelling near the Emerald Pools area of the park.

Also in June, a 53-year-old St. Louis man died when he fell 1,000 feet while hiking the popular Angel's Landing trail.

Terry said the sport of canyoneering, which involves rappelling down cliffs or into slot canyons, is becoming increasingly popular in the southwestern Utah park.