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AMERICAN FORK — A Scoutmaster struck his head as he fell 40 feet from a cliff near American Fork Canyon, but fortunately, he'll survive.
Utah County Sheriff's Sergeant Eldon Packer said Sean Cox, 40, was showing a group of Boy Scouts rock climbing techniques near the Grey Cliffs area, about a mile past Timpanogos Cave, when his belay line failed to catch when he slipped.
"He was in the middle of the climb, or close to the top, when the individual belaying him apparently had slipped. The device was not locked and so he fell," he said.
"The individual helping him actually received burns to his hand trying to arrest his fall as he came down. But as (Cox) came down, he actually struck his head on the wall."
Though Cox hit his head against the canyon wall, he is expected to live.
"He was wearing a helmet, but even with those devices on, sometimes we receive injuries with that. If he hadn't worn a helmet, it would have been much more serious," Packer said.
A BYU student, Adam Perazzo, 22, fell 70 feet to his death near Provo Canyon on Saturday, but he didn't have safety equipment. Packer warns hikers not to trek unprepared, and to take all safety precautions.
Contributing: Jeff Finlay
