Miraculous Survival: 13-Year-Old North Dakota Boy Falls Nearly 100 Feet at Grand Canyon and Lives to Tell the Tale

A 13-year-old North Dakota boy has miraculously survived a fall of nearly 100 feet at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Wyatt Kauffman was on a family trip when he slipped on a cliff at the Bright Angel Point trail and plunged the nearly 100 feet (30 meters).

It took emergency crews two hours to rescue Kauffman, who suffered 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 treatment.

Kauffman told Phoenix TV station KPNX that he was moving out of the way so other people could take a picture when he lost his grip. “It wasn’t that good of a grip,” he said. “I squatted down and was holding on to a rock.”

Kauffman’s family is grateful for his survival and thankful for the emergency crews who worked quickly to rescue him. “We are so thankful for all the people who worked together to get Wyatt out of the canyon,” his family said in a statement. “We are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from our family and friends.”

Kauffman’s condition is currently unknown, but his family is hopeful for a full recovery.