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KANARRAVILLE — Search and rescue teams reached a teenage boy who fell 60 feet near Kanarraville Falls Wednesday.
The 16-year-old Las Vegas boy was hiking with a group of 12 teens and a camp counselor from a troubled youth group in LeVerkin when the boy fell about 60 feet down a slope. The group was about two miles into the Kanarraville Falls trail, just outside of Kanarraville, when the accident occurred.
A witness said the victim saw water running out of a rock during the hike, and told the others he wanted to hike up to see where the water started. When the 16-year-old boy got to the top of the water source, he lost his balance and began to slide down the slick rock, according to the witness.
The witness said the victim was on his back during much of the slide down the wet rock, and that he received scrapes on his back and likely a broken ankle. It was also reported that the victim may have broken a few ribs, but he was breathing fine.
Two members of the group ran two miles down the canyon to get cell phone service and were able to call for help and several other teens in their group built a stretcher out of branches and their t-shirts.
The Iron County Sheriff's Office responded and sent a medical helicopter to the area Wednesday afternoon, but were unable to reach the teenager.
A second life flight helicopter was dispatched to the scene of the accident with a hoist. Rescue teams and paramedics were able to drop 100 feet of cable and hoisted the boy from the area. He was airlifted to a local hospital where he is expected to recover.
