Climber rescued Friday night after falling 70 feet in Big Cottonwood Canyon

SALT LAKE CITY — A severely injured climber was transported out of Big Cottonwood Canyon Friday after falling approximately 70 feet into rough terrain, authorities say.

Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue said via Facebook that they received a call at 10:11 p.m. on Friday night about an injured climber at Narcolepsy Wall in Big Cottonwood Canyon, where two climbers were scaling a route called Dream Slate in the dark with headlamps.

The second climber fell as he attempted to clean off climbing hooks from the top of the route after the first climber began traveling back down, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue said. The first climber saw the man free fall approximately 70 feet from the top of the route and land in a large bush that may have helped break his fall; however, the climber still sustained "severe injuries," the Facebook post said.

Unified Fire reached the injured man first and began patient care while search and rescue prepared to lift him approximately 40 feet uphill and then lower him down the trail and back to the road, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue said.

"The terrain from the base of the climb, down to the road was steep, rocky, and very loose making it difficult and slow," the post reads. "Because of the terrain, it took approximately 25 Search and Rescue members to extract this patient along with many Unified Fire Fighters and paramedics."

The rescue lasted for three hours and 15 minutes, and all teams were off the mountain by 1:30 a.m. Saturday morning, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue said.

Additional information, such as the injured hiker's identity and status as of Saturday, is not immediately available.

Related topics