A 13-year-old boy has managed to survive a harrowing experience after slipping and plummeting nearly 100 feet (30 meters) within the Grand Canyon, situated in the state of Arizona in the United States.

The incident unfolded at the North Rim, a well-visited tourist destination, where Wyatt Kauffman found himself in a precarious situation.

Rescue teams dedicated two hours to extricate Wyatt Kauffman from his predicament on Tuesday. He had slipped off a ledge at the popular tourist site.

Following the ordeal, he was transported to a hospital with severe injuries, but he has since been released from medical care, BBC reported.

Among the injuries he sustained were nine fractured vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a broken hand, and a collapsed lung.

The rescue mission involved numerous emergency personnel, with a team from the Grand Canyon National Park executing a daring rappel down a cliff to safely retrieve Wyatt.

They opted for this method as the rugged terrain made a helicopter rescue infeasible.

Expressing immense gratitude, Wyatt’s father, Brian Kauffman, who was in North Dakota during the incident, stated, “We are profoundly appreciative of the efforts of everyone involved. It’s a stroke of luck that we are bringing our child home in the front seat of a car rather than in a somber container.”

Wyatt had been visiting the Grand Canyon as part of a family trip.

His family members conveyed to KPNX that they intend to embark on a road trip back home, aiming to replace the haunting memory of the fall with new and positive experiences.

Written by staff