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MOAB — A Canadian man suffered critical injuries Wednesday after a rock came loose from a cliff and hit him while he was hiking, officials said.
The man was hiking with his wife in the Fisher Towers area northeast of Moab about 11:40 a.m. Wednesday, according to Grand County Emergency Medical Services executive director Andy Smith.
A rock about the size of a basketball came loose from a cliff above him and hit him in the side by his hip, according to Smith. The man was hiking below a climbing route when the rock fall occurred, he said.
The man was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado in critical condition, according to Smith. He is expected to survive, Smith added. He did not provide the man’s name or age.
Emergency crews saw several other rock falls in the area while they were rescuing the man, Smith said. There was inclement weather in the area, which prevented a medical helicopter from responding to the scene, he added.
People are asked to be very cautious if they plan to hike during rainstorms in the Moab area, Smith said.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said the man injured was climbing when the rock fall occurred. This article has been corrected to state the man was hiking.
