Man riding a horse falls 30 feet down rural cliffside in North Carolina, officials say
A man fell off a cliff after the horse he was riding likely lost its footing, North Carolina officials say.
The rider plunged down a 100-foot rock face and toward the water below, said Robbie Smith, emergency management coordinator in Montgomery County.
But luckily, the man got caught in briars and “and didn’t go all the way down” on Wednesday afternoon, Smith. told McClatchy News.
It happened in the area of Falls Dam and the Uwharrie National Forest. The remote, hilly region is roughly 65 miles northeast of Charlotte.
The horse fell to the bottom of the cliff and was found in the 48-degree water, according to officials.
“He had some small lacerations on him,” Smith said. “I think the water helped slow down the bleeding.”
He says the horse was taken to an animal hospital, and a vet thought recovery was possible.
The man riding the horse also got hurt after falling 30 to 40 feet, officials say. He was rescued and airlifted to a nearby medical center, according to Terry Eudy, chief of the Badin Volunteer Fire Department.
The rider and his group were using a closed trail when the fall happened, according to authorities.
This story was originally published January 10, 2020 at 10:07 AM with the headline "Man riding a horse falls 30 feet down rural cliffside in North Carolina, officials say."
