Ice climber slips and plunges 40 feet near Utah’s Bridal Veil Falls, police say

A 29-year-old ice climber was rescued via helicopter after slipping and falling 40 feet, Utah police told media outlets.

On Dec. 26, the man fell near Bridal Veil Falls, according to a Facebook post by the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.

He broke his arm and injured his back, police said.

“An accomplished lead climber was just about to the top of the pitch where he was at, and he had a foot give way on him and he fell, landed on a ledge, and then was caught by his ropes system,” Corey Cluff with the Utah County Sheriff Search and Rescue told KSL.

The rescue took about three hours, according to FOX 13. The man was with a group, one of whom called for help.

A helicopter was able to get the ice climber down and an ambulance transported him to a local hospital, officials said.

Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office urges those who take part in potentially dangerous outdoor activities to bring someone along with you.

“You certainly don’t want to get injured at all, but if you get injured to the point where either you’re not conscious and you can’t call for help yourself, you have somebody else who can.” Cannon said according to FOX 13.

Bridal Veil Falls is about 45 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.

This story was originally published December 27, 2022 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Ice climber slips and plunges 40 feet near Utah’s Bridal Veil Falls, police say."