PROVO, Utah — A hiker was seriously injured Thursday when a piece of ice fell on his head at Bridal Veil Falls. He was saved by a Utah County Search and Rescue team with the help of a LifeFlight helicopter crew.
Sergeant Spencer Cannon of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said the man suffered a depressed skull fracture. He was unconscious when the rescue team moved him to an area on the mountainside where the helicopter crew was able to reach him with their winch.
KSL-TV reports they brought him to a medical team in the parking lot near the falls and then transported him to the hospital, where he was reportedly in critical condition.
“One of the things we see this time of year is melting ice and snow,” said Sgt. Cannon told KSL NewsRadio. “You have rocks that have been loosened from freezing and thawing, they’re falling.”
A member of the rescue team was hit by a rock fall during the operation but was not seriously injured.
Sergeant Cannon urged hikers to be prepared when heading to areas such as Bridal Veil Falls, taking precautions such as wearing a helmet.
“We wouldn’t tell people ‘don’t go to these areas’, but you need to at least consider what the risks might be and maybe wait a few weeks when some of these loose materials that are going down now might not arrive. down as much.
“People who are hiking, climbing or even walking in certain areas need to be aware of these kinds of things,” Cannon said.
