Injured hiker gets stranded nearly 500 feet down ‘jagged’ canyon, Arizona rescuers say
An injured hiker was rescued after getting stranded nearly 500 feet down a canyon outside the boundaries of a national monument, Arizona rescuers say.
After getting a report about a hiker with an injured ankle Saturday, Dec. 14, rescuers with the Flagstaff Fire Department made their way to Walnut Canyon National Monument, the department said in a Facebook post.
When they arrived, rescuers were met by park rangers, who said the injured hiker was stranded “at the bottom of the canyon beyond the park’s guard rails,” the fire department said.
“Firefighters then made their way down the jagged and rocky terrain nearly 500 feet to the bottom of the canyon,” rescuers said.
The firefighters found the hiker, who had an injured ankle and was possibly hypothermic, rescuers said.
Realizing the rescue would come with “extreme challenges,” firefighters said they requested additional help from Coconino County Search and Rescue.
When search and rescue members arrived, firefighters said they came up with a plan to rescue the hiker from the canyon using a rope system.
However, after further evaluating the situation, firefighters said they instead requested assistance from a helicopter crew with the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Rescuers treated the hiker, then the helicopter crew airlifted her from the canyon, firefighters said.
Afterward, rescuers took the hiker to a nearby medical center to get treatment for her injuries, firefighters said.
Walnut Canyon National Monument is about a 10-mile drive east from Flagstaff.
This story was originally published December 18, 2024 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Injured hiker gets stranded nearly 500 feet down ‘jagged’ canyon, Arizona rescuers say."
