A family trip to the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon took a terrifying turn for the Kauffman family as their 13-year-old son, Wyatt Kauffman, miraculously survived a 30-meter (100ft) fall from the Bright Angel Point trail. The incident unfolded on Tuesday, leading to a challenging two-hour rescue operation that saw emergency crews working tirelessly to retrieve the injured boy.
Wyatt recounted the harrowing moment when he slipped while adjusting his position for a photograph. “I was up on the ledge and was moving out of the way so other people could take a picture,” he told Phoenix TV station KPNX. “I squatted down and was holding on to 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.
The severity of the fall left Wyatt with extensive injuries, including nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, a concussion, a broken hand, and a dislocated finger. He was airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital for immediate medical attention. The rescue operation involved skilled crews abseiling down the cliff to carefully extract Wyatt from the canyon in a basket.
Wyatt’s remarkable survival was attributed to the diligent efforts of the rescue teams and the boy’s own resilience. “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,” Wyatt recalled from his hospital bed.
Wyatt’s father, Brian Kauffman, expressed immense gratitude for the rescue operation’s success. “We’re extremely grateful for the work of everyone. Two hours is an eternity in a situation like that,” Mr. Kauffman said. He revealed that Wyatt and his mother were on a trip to explore the national parks when the unfortunate fall occurred.
Following days of medical care, Wyatt was discharged from the hospital and is now on his way back home. “We’re just lucky we’re bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box,” Mr. Kauffman emotionally shared with KPNX.
