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SALT LAKE CITY — A 37-year-old man was rescued in American Fork Canyon after he was accidentally knocked off a 40-50 foot cliff above Little Mill Campground on Wednesday evening. According to Utah County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Sgt. Zac Robinson, the man was packing up some of his things on the cliff with two other climbers when a third pushed off the wall harder than intended, bumping the man and knocking him off the ledge.Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Mike Alexander said a Department of Public Safety helicopter was required to assist with the rescue. Robinson said it required a team of more than two dozen individuals on the ground to secure him and bring him safely to an extraction point, 24 from the Utah County Sheriff's Search and Rescue, and two from Lone Peak Fire.The man was hoisted by helicopter to the Timpanogos Cave visitors center parking lot, where he was transferred to a medical helicopter for treatment. On Thursday, family members identified the injured climber as Taz Wilcock. According to Wilcock’s sister, Tyne Wilcock, the 37-year-old is an experienced climber, and she described what happened as a “freak accident.” “It was a miracle,” she stated via text about her brother’s survival. “And it was just a freak accident. It could have happened to anyone, and he is just happy to be okay.” The sister said Wilcock suffered a concussion and a broken arm in addition to several scratches and said he may require surgery. She created a GoFundMe* account to help her brother and his family during his recovery. “He is thankful for God and for all the help that he received,” Tyne Wilcock stated via text. “The friends and the medical personnel were amazing.”
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk. [gallery ids="835884,835890,835889,835888,835887,835886,835885"]
