Hiker hauled down mountain after 20-foot drop
A hiker in Utah was rescued Sunday after sustaining serious injuries in a "considerable fall" at the Donut Falls Waterfall, officials said.
The photo shows an injured hiker being transported off a mountain near Donut Falls Waterfall in Utah on March 22, 2026. (Photo Credit: Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue | Facebook)
A hiker in Utah was rescued Sunday after sustaining serious injuries in a "considerable fall" at the Donut Falls Waterfall, officials said.
Salt Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue said it was dispatched at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday to assist Unified Fire Authority crews in the rescue of a hiker who had fallen "at least 20 feet" down the Donut Falls Waterfall.
Based on the likelihood of significant injuries, a medical helicopter was dispatched, but it was unable to perform a hoist operation due to weather conditions.
Meanwhile, ground teams hiking up from the trailhead "through snow and running water" ultimately reached the patient and determined their injuries were not life-threatening, but were serious enough that the hiker was "unable to move."
The patient was loaded onto a litter and hauled down the mountain "through several different rope systems." Once off the mountain the patient was transferred to an awaiting ambulance and transported to the hospital.
Rescuers cleared the scene just after dark.
Reporting by TMX
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