- Wyatt broke nine vertebrae, ruptured his spleen, broke his hand and suffered a collapsed lung
- The rescue effort involved almost 40 emergency workers
A 14-year-old boy has miraculously survived falling nearly 100ft into the Grand Canyon from the North Rim.
It was gathered that the boy fell as he moved out of the way so that tourists could take pictures.
The rescue
According to Mail Online, it took emergency crews two hours to rescue Wyatt Kauffman after he slipped on a cliff on the Bright Angel Point trail while on a family trip to the canyon last Tuesday.
The teenager was airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment to nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, concussion, and a broken hand and dislocated finger.
The fall
‘I was up on the ledge and was moving out of the way so other people could take a picture,’ Wyatt told Phoenix TV station KPNX.
‘I squatted down and was holding onto a rock. I only had one hand on it.
‘It wasn’t that good of a grip. It was kind of pushing me back. I lost my grip and started to fall back,’ he added.
Rescue crews had to abseil down the cliff and get the injured boy out of the canyon in a basket. The rescue effort involved almost 40 emergency workers.
It took emergency crews two hours to rescue Wyatt.
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‘I just remember somewhat waking up and being in the back of an ambulance and a helicopter and getting on a plane and getting here to the hospital’, said Wyatt, who lives in Casselton, North Dakota.
Father’s concerns
His father, Brian Kauffman said he was in North Dakota when he received ‘one of the most heart-wrenching phone calls’ he has ever had about his son’s fall and rescue.
‘We’re extremely grateful for the work of everyone. Two hours is an eternity in a situation like that,’ Mr Kauffman said.
He said Wyatt and his mother were on a trip to visit national parks when the Grand Canyon fall occurred.
Mr. Kauffman said his son was discharged from the hospital on Saturday and was being driven home. Wyatt and his mother were expected to reach Casselton on Tuesday.
‘We’re just lucky we’re bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box,’ Mr Kauffman told KPNX.
He later posted pictures of his son in a wheelchair on Facebook with the caption: ‘HE’S OUT!!! Still in a fair amount of pain, but, HE’S OUT! Now they start the long ride home. Carol is hoping to do about 4 hours today and get a hotel.’
He also revealed that one of the nurses had made him a t-shirt which said ‘I survived’ in a heartfelt gift.
‘Good vibes and prayers for a safe, boring, and uneventful 1600 mile drive for Wyatt would be MUCH appreciated,’ Mr Kauffman added.
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