North Dakota teen recovering from Grand Canyon plummet

Wyatt Kaufman was on the lip of the Grand Canyon when he moved over to let others get a look at the chasm.

That’s when he slipped and fell.

He doesn’t remember anything after that until he woke up in an ambulance hours later.

The 13-year-old from Casselton, N.D., told KPNX-TV, an Arizona TV station, that he understands it took about two hours for rescue crews to reach him and lift him to an area where he could be placed in an ambulance.

The fall happened Tuesday, and Wyatt spent the next several days in a hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On Saturday, the hospital released Wyatt, and his father, Brian Kaufman, let well-wishers know via Facebook posts that Wyatt was heading back to North Dakota.

Wyatt told KPNX-TV he was on a ledge on the North Rim of the canyon when he moved out of the way to allow other visitors a good view of the natural wonder. He said he lost his hold on a rock and toppled off the ledge.

According to the KPNX-TV report, Wyatt’s injuries included nine broken vertebrae, a concussion, ruptured spleen, collapsed lung, broken hand and dislocated finger.

A statement released by the National Park Service said the teen fell between 70 to 100 feet when he toppled from the popular Bright Angel Point Trail, which the Park Service described as “exposed, narrow, and surprisingly steep.”

The Park Service warned that all visitors should stay on designated trails and walkways and remain at least six feet from the edge of the rim at all times.

In August 2022, a 44-year-old man died after falling over the edge on the North Rim near Bright Angel Point, according to the Park Service, which said the man was off-trail when he accidentally fell approximately 200 feet below the rim.

Brian Kaufman said Saturday night that Wyatt and his mother, Carol, who is Brian Kaufman’s ex-wife, were on a trip to visit national parks when the fall happened.

He said Wyatt and his mother are driving home because doctors would not allow Wyatt to fly due to his injuries. They expect to be back in Casselton by some time Tuesday.

Brian Kaufman said his son’s survival was beyond a miracle, given all he went through. Wyatt, he said, was not a candidate for a helicopter retrieval, so rescuers rappelled down the canyon face to reach him and then lifted him back to the canyon rim using a basket.

From there, Brian Kaufman said his son was taken to a helicopter, which flew him to an airplane that then took him to Las Vegas.

At that point, Wyatt was placed on another helicopter, which took him to a children’s hospital, according to Brian Kaufman.

“There were a lot more steps to it than what’s been reported,” he said.