Hiker Fell 100 Feet- Stranded for 5 Hours!

A Utah Hiker Fell More Than 100 Feet and Was Stranded for 5 Hours Before Help Arrived

“He was trapped, badly injured, and had lost his phone in the fall.“

The following written content by Kayla Blanton

Over the weekend, every hiker’s worst fear became a reality for a 29-year-old man from Utah. According to KSLTV, the man, who remains anonymous at the moment, was hiking near the base of Ensign Peak in Salt Lake City on Dec. 27 when he slipped and fell more than 100 feet down a rock quarry, landing on a ledge that saved his life. But unfortunately, he was trapped, badly injured, and had lost his phone in the fall.

“Somewhere along that hike, he misstepped, got too close to the edge and took a slide and tumble halfway down the cliff base into the rock quarry,” Salt Lake City Fire Department Chief Mark Bednarik told the news station.

After five hours of laying on the ledge, according to NBC News, people at a nearby homeless camp heard his calls for help and noticed him waving a flashlight, and contacted emergency authorities. The Salt Lake City Fire Department’s Heavy Rescue Team—a squad that reportedly undergoes hundreds of hours of additional training for these types of events—arrived on-scene soon after, repelled down the hillside, and eventually lowered the hiker to the ground for hospital transport.

“We were able to find a solid tree and some rocks to hook up to, and we lowered rescuers down to him,” Chief Bednarik explained. “He couldn’t move. He was stranded on that ledge with injuries to his legs and pelvis.”

Thankfully, he was conscious when they arrived and remained aware during the rescue. Images and a video of the scene from the fire department show just how ominous the fall was—and how much worse it could’ve been.

Although it was not an ideal situation, authorities used the opportunity to remind hikers of preparations and safety precautions to take on their next adventure—bring a flashlight, cellphone, and warm clothes. Read more from Prevention.