A terrifying incident where a man almost lost his life after plunging 100 feet into the Grand Canyon was captured on video.
Back in 2017, a man in his 20s decided to climb over the safety barrier at Mather Point. This spot is a favorite among tourists for viewing the breathtaking scenery of the Grand Canyon.
A woman recording the sweeping landscapes also captured the man’s risky endeavor.
The footage shows him sitting precariously on a ledge, his hand resting on a rock, while he takes in the view, exclaiming it is ‘f***ing beautiful’.
As others urged him to return to safety, he can be heard pondering how he might make his way back up.
The video then shifts to the shocking moment when the man tumbles 100 feet down the Canyon. Miraculously, he stops just short of falling over another edge.
Gasps of horror could be heard from the crowd as they watched him narrowly escape a fatal drop, while others quickly dialed 911.
In the months following the accident, a video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube by Cyndi Pu.
Warning: Some viewers may find the following footage upsetting:
In her video description, she explained that the man was ‘trying to get that better view’ by ‘going over the guard rail at about 7,000ft’.
She added: “While it’s not illegal, you are on your own responsibility of the danger you are putting yourself in.
“He was able to see that ‘f***ing beautiful’ view as he said it. We all told him to come back up and all he said was ‘that’s gonna be the problem’.
“We all witnessed as he lost his grip and fell about 100ft. He never came back up and stayed motionless at the edge of the big drop to the bottom of the Canyon.”
Cyndi noted that emergency services reached the scene five minutes after being alerted, but it ‘took hours before they were able to rescue him’.
She also mentioned receiving an email from Park Rangers indicating the man was ‘alive with very life-threatening injuries’.
A comment on Cyndi’s video, purportedly from the man’s brother, stated that he ‘did survive the fall’, though he endured ‘2 agonizing months in a coma, fighting sepsis from the infection in his 2 deflated lungs’ but thankfully ‘made it through’.
“His mind is still very good however his memory is a crapshoot.” the comment stated.
The Grand Canyon NPS’s Law Enforcement and Emergency Services programs also shared information about the incident the day after it occurred.
The agency confirmed that the man was successfully rescued and transported to Flagstaff Medical Center after ‘three responders were lowered to the victim and stabilized the patient’.