Boy, 13, Survives Harrowing 100ft Grand Canyon Plunge
A family holiday turned into a nightmare when Wyatt Kauffman, 13, fell a terrifying 30 metres (100ft) off the Bright Angel Point trail at the Grand Canyon. What should have been a day filled with breathtaking views ended in a desperate, two-hour rescue mission to save the injured boy.
Slip While Snapping Photo Leaves Boy Clinging for Life
Wyatt told Phoenix TV station KPNX about his terrifying fall. “I was up on the ledge, moving out of the way so others could take a picture. I squatted down and held on to a rock with one hand, but the grip wasn’t good. It was pushing me back. I lost my grip and started to fall,” he recalled.
Massive Injuries, Miracle Survival
The fall left Wyatt with nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, a concussion, a broken hand, and a dislocated finger. Emergency crews used ropes and abseiled down the cliff face before carefully winching him up in a rescue basket. He was then airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital for urgent treatment.
From his hospital bed, Wyatt said, “I just remember waking up in the back of an ambulance, then a helicopter, then on a plane getting here.”
Parents Thank Rescue Teams as Son Heads Home
Father Brian Kauffman praised the heroic rescue. “We’re extremely grateful for the work of everyone involved. Two hours feels like an eternity in a situation like that,” he said. Wyatt and his mother had been exploring national parks when the accident happened.
After days in hospital, Wyatt was discharged and is now heading back home. His father reflected emotionally, “We’re just lucky we’re bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box.”
