Injured hiker rescued from Teton Park canyon
August 6, 2012
Rescuers used a helicopter late Saturday afternoon to evacuate an injured hiker from Waterfalls Canyon in Grand Teton National Park.
A statement from park officials reported Jessica Haines, 21, of Laguna Beach, Calif., fell about 20 feet while ascending the canyon just above Columbine Cascades. Her injuries were not critical, according to park officials.
Waterfalls Canyon is located on the west side of Jackson Lake, between Ranger Peak to the north and Eagles Rest Peak to the south. It cannot be accessed via maintained park trails.
The summer valley worker was hiking with two companions. She went off on her own to hike high into to the north side of the canyon, planning to rejoin the group at Wilderness Falls.
Haines fell in a rocky area and came to rest on a ledge. Due to her location and injuries, she was unable to continue down the canyon.
Haines radioed for help using a VHF radio typically carried on boats. A park ranger on routine patrol on Jackson Lake heard the transmission and notified Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 3:19 p.m.
Park rangers in the north district of the park launched a rescue, requesting additional rangers and a Teton Interagency contract helicopter.
Rangers reached Haines at 6:30 p.m., provided emergency medical care and prepared her for a short-haul flight. Haines and a ranger were suspended from below the helicopter and taken to a landing zone on the west shore of Jackson Lake. A Grand Teton National Park patrol boat transported them across the lake where a waiting park ambulance took her to St. John’s Medical Center.