Utah woman rescued after falling on Storm Mountain

A 21-year-old woman hurt her back after she fell 15 feet in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

The woman was rappelling down a rock face on Storm Mountain with a group of friends at about 5:30 p.m. Monday when she ran out of rope and fell, said Unified Police Lt. Justin Hoyal.

A search and rescue crew, police and a Life Flight helicopter found the group, but the woman was on the opposite side of the river from the road. Rescuers had to set up a pulley system to lift her over the cold, swift waters and safely to the side of the road, Hoyal said.

She was taken in an ambulance to University Hospital with serious lower back injuries.

Emergency responders had to shut down traffic in both directions in the canyon to rescue the woman. While stuck in traffic east of the rescue, a 14-year-old boy and his father got out of their vehicle and went for a walk — but the boy wound up on a rock face about 200 feet above the road and could not get back down, Hoyal said.

With the woman safe, the rescuers moved farther into the canyon to get him. They climbed up above the boy and rappelled down to him. By 10:35 p.m., he was safe too, according to UPD.

mmcfall@sltrib.com

Twitter: @mikeypanda