Man, 55, Injured After Falling from Ledge on Hike. Officials Stayed with Him Overnight Until He Was Rescued

Authorities in Arizona went the extra mile after a hiker fell from a ledge on New Year’s Day.

In a Friday, Jan. 2, news release, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said authorities responded to an incident at about 5:55 p.m. local time the previous day when a 55-year-old man suffered a serious leg injury from the fall.

The sheriff’s office noted that the rescue mission faced challenges due to weather and environmental factors. 

“Plunging temperatures and steady precipitation created a risk for hypothermia, with both the injured hiker and rescue team members beginning to experience symptoms,” officials wrote. Additionally, flooding hampered their ability to move the hiker, whom they did not identify, to safety.

The search and rescue team ended up staying with the injured hiker throughout the evening, even starting a fire for them to keep them warm.

But bad weather also prevented aerial support and scrapped plans for multiple rescue operations, which prompted sheriff deputies to contact the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) to request a Black Hawk chopper. 

“Following a night of coordination on the mountain, the Black Hawk crew successfully extracted the patient at 7:45 AM today [Friday, Jan. 2] and transported him to the waiting medical personnel,” officials wrote.

Yavapai County Forest Patrol Deputy Jason Kaufman described the complexity of the operation, telling Fox affiliate KSAZ that “you have to plan two or three steps ahead.”

Kaufman went on to say that he was the one who made the call about the search and rescue team staying with the hiker overnight,

“They’re trained in basic survival techniques: lighting fires, splints, and providing a lean-to-shelter for people who are injured in crazy predicaments,” he told Fox affiliate KSAZ.

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In addition to the Bumble Bee operation, deputies responded to two other incidents on New Year’s Day, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.

One occurred in Wickenburg in which authorities responded to the Blue Tank Wash area following a report of a lost female hiker. She was later found by a deputy and was taken safely to her vehicle. 

Meanwhile, a deputy responded to a report of a lost male hiker in Sedona. That person was later found on a trail and then brought to safety.