This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A rock climber was in critical but stable condition Saturday evening after he fell 20 feet off a route in Little Cottonwood Canyon, authorities said.
The 26-year-old man was drinking vodka and climbing with several others in an area just below Tanners Flat Campground when he fell and struck his head on a rock, Unified Police Lt. Brian Lohrke said. The man was "semi-alert" when emergency responders were called but had been significantly injured in the fall, he said. He was not wearing a helmet.
At about 5:30 p.m., rescuers reached the man and moved him to a better position so he could be airlifted from the canyon. The rescue was delayed as the helicopter waited for several paragliders to clear the area, Lohrke said.
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