IntermtnMedCtr - Injured hiker's family encourages outdoor safety

Short Summary

Main recommendation: Hikers should treat seemingly safe natural spots, especially wet rocks near waterfalls, as hazardous, plan routes ahead of time, and stay within their own skill level. The video follows 20-year-old Jay Hutchinson, who was seriously injured after slipping on a rock near the falls in Bell Canyon and falling about 35 feet in total (a 5-foot drop to a ledge followed by a 30-foot fall), and his family's warning that nature is not always as safe as it looks.

Key Points

• Hutchinson slipped on a rock that did not look slippery while photographing the falls with his girlfriend, Nicole Johnson; the fall was a 5-foot drop to a ledge followed by a 30-foot fall into knee-deep water.
• According to his family, Johnson went to the bottom and pulled his head up, and they said he would not have survived without her help.
• His injuries include broken ribs, pelvic bones, and an elbow, a jaw injury, and possibly a wrist injury, and he remains in the ICU.
• Rescuers say this is the third fall at the same location in two months, and the video links it to several other recent falls in Utah canyons.
• First responders urge hikers to chart routes ahead of time, watch every step, and know their limitations.
• Doctors reportedly estimate a recovery of 8 to 12 months.

Details Worth Noting

• Concrete instructions: Chart your route before you go, watch every step along the way, know your personal limitations, and do not attempt terrain that is beyond your skill set.
• The location features rocks and steep cliffs, and the video specifically warns that rocks near waterfalls can be slippery even when they look safe.
• Recent incidents mentioned include a 30-foot fall in Little Cottonwood Canyon on Monday night and a deadly tumble at Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon on Wednesday.
• Hutchinson is a University of Utah student who works as a soccer and basketball referee, and his family says his recovery will keep him away from that work for now.
• His family said the incident might make him stronger as a person.

Bottom Line

Scenic spots near water and rock can be deceptively dangerous, so careful route planning and honest judgment about your abilities matter as much as the view.