Man Falls Off Cliff While Trying to Rescue Girl

Sam Penrod Reporting A man died today while hiking in Utah County. A group of people were visiting Timpanogos cave when one of them fell hundreds of feet off a cliff.

The victim is a man visiting from Russia, who slipped in the rocks and fell off a 200-foot cliff while he was trying to rescue a three-year old girl.

A group of people were hiking down from Timpanogos Cave in American Fork Canyon late this afternoon, when a three-year old girl slipped off the trail and fell down about 75 feet into the shale rocks below. The girl's father first tried to rescue her, but couldn't and he came back up on the trail.

That's when the family friend from Russia tried to get down to the girl, but sadly he fell into an area that turned into a cliff.

Tara Lillemon, Witness: "He had said his daughter fell and we could hear her screaming in the canyon, so we knew she was breathing, her circulation is okay. Then he said a family friend went down after her and we couldn't see him and we couldn't hear him."

Lt. Darren Gilbert, Utah County Sheriff's Office: "We believe he went off the hill, there was a conversation between him and another friend up on the mountain saying, ‘Be careful, watch your route,' and shortly thereafter he fell again and slipped down about 200 feet."

Rescue crews brought in the LifeFlight Hoist to lift the three-year old girl off the mountain. She suffered serious injuries from the fall and was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center in critical condition.

As for the victim, authorities say it will be a difficult recovery of his body and believe it could take all night because of the very steep and rugged area where he fell.

One Search and Rescue team member was hurt when rocks fell on his leg. He is expected to be just fine.

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