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Nishi Gupta Reporting Nearly two weeks ago, two teenagers fell several hundred feet while hiking in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Eric Fogg survived. His best friend, James Henrie, did not.
Today, Eric spoke to the media for the first time since the accident. He talked about their dangerous hike and says he believes James died trying to save him.
He's recovering from a long list of injuries, and the emotional toll of losing a best friend. But this 17-year old still gave us a glimpse into what happened that day.
This wasn't the first time they'd hiked together, but the hike at Twin Peaks would be their last.
Chopper Five caught Eric's dramatic rescue. It was too dangerous to get James' body right away. Rescue personnel had to wait until the next morning.
What led up to all of this?
Eric Fogg: "It was terrifying. You don't know if you can get down or not."
Speaking from his wheelchair with bruises, cuts, and casts, Eric was able to tell us. After hiking for awhile, the friends ventured off-trail, believing they'd found a shortcut. It was anything but. It turned out to be an area of steep and icy ledges.
Eric Fogg: "That's when we started to get worried. Because we couldn't find a way down and the only way to get down was to go up."
Finally, they made it to a flatter area.
Eric Fogg: "We thought we were home free because we had already passed the hard stuff. There was one more spot."
"I remember I slipped and I started sliding. Trying to stop myself with my hands and legs. Then I just kept going, and kept picking up speed."
Eric went in and out of consciousness. He says he called for James..
"He sounded like he was fine."
...and got a response before he passed out again. It would be the last time he ever heard from his friend.
Soon he heard helicopters. He tried to get their attention by climbing towards another spot. That's when he saw James on a snowy ledge beneath him, motionless.
Eric Fogg: "Just by looking at him, you could tell he wasn't alive."
Eric thinks James fell trying to save him. Now, Eric wonders if he could have done anything differently.
Eric Fogg: "It's like, well, if I didn't agree to go that day would he still be alive? Or, if I hadn't fallen, would he be alive? I just keeps you thinking."
Eric's doctor says he is a strong young man, both emotionally and physically. For that reason, he expects Eric to make a full recovery. This fall, Eric will be a senior at Brighton High.
