This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An 11-year-old boy was critically injured Sunday when he fell about 200 feet from a trail near Bridal Veil Falls in Utah County, police said.
He apparently took a couple of jumping steps before he stumbled and fell from the narrow walkway and down a rocky slope about 3:48 p.m., said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon. He came to rest about 250 feet above the Provo Parkway Trail that is next to the Provo River at the base of Bridal Veil Falls.
"He banged his head up pretty good," and also suffered back and hip injuries and possibly broke his collar bone, Cannon said.
Cannon said the boy didn't remember how he'd fallen — a potential sign of a serious head injury. However he was awake and talking with rescuers when they reached the boy by about 5:15 p.m. His condition began deteriorating, Cannon said, but it appears the boy's injuries are not life-threatening.
The terrain the boy landed in was treacherous, and crews had to lower him down to the nearby trail. He was then flown in a medical helicopter to Primary Children's Medical Center.
The boy's name and hometown were not immediately available. He was on an offshoot of the Provo Parkway Trail that leads to the base of the falls when he fell, Cannon said —a familiar spot for search and rescue crews, who have already answered several calls there this year.
Twitter: @lwhitehurst