Grand Canyon National Park (AZ)
Injured Hiker Rescued Via Helicopter Short Haul
The park received a report of an injured 39-year-old male hiker below the South Rim on April 20th. While descending the New Hance Trail, which is a rugged and unimproved trail, he'd suffered a soft tissue ligament injury to his knee that prevented him from bearing weight on the injured leg. An NPS ranger/IEMT hiked to his location, three-quarters of a mile down the trail, and stabilized his injury. A ground-based litter evacuation was not considered feasible from the site; the crew of the park's helicopter performed a reconnaissance of the site, but determined that gusting winds prevented a rescue from being safely conducted. The ranger, who provided continued care, bivouacked overnight at the scene with the injured hiker. Winds decreased the next day, and rescuers successfully completed a helicopter short-haul extraction of the patient to the Moran Point Overlook. He was then transported by a waiting NPS ambulance.