13-year-old boy says he was 'inches from death' after surviving 100ft fall from the Grand Canyon
Keryn Donnelly
Featured Image Credit: Good Morning America/ABC. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.
A 13-year-old boy who miraculously survived falling almost 100ft into the Grand Canyon says he felt like he was 'inches from death'.
Wyatt Kaufman was visiting the Arizona gorge with his mother Carol when he moved aside to let some tourists take a photo and slipped from a cliff edge on the Bright Angel Point trail.
It took emergency services two hours to rescue the teenager.
He was then airlifted to a Las Vegas hospital for treatment for nine broken vertebrae, a ruptured spleen, a collapsed lung, a concussion, a broken hand and a dislocated finger.
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During an appearance on Good Morning America, Wyatt recalled his near-death experience.
"I almost died," he said. "I was like, inches away from death."
The teenager told the morning TV program he had been taking pictures on his phone when he decided to venture further up the canyon's North Rim.
"I went all the way up on to the very top of the point. It's flat up there and you can see the entire canyon, it's beautiful up there," he said.
When he moved out of the way for some other tourists to take a photo, he slipped off the edge.
"I was up on the ledge and was moving out of the way so other people could take a picture," he told Phoenix TV station KPNX.
He continued: "I squatted down and was holding on to a rock. I only had one hand on it. It wasn't that good of a grip. It was kind of pushing me back. I lost my grip and started to fall back."
His father Brian was at home in North Dakota when his wife called him to tell him what happened.
"We're just lucky we're bringing our kid home in a car in the front seat instead of in a box," Brian told KPNX.
He later updated friends and family on Wyatt's condition on Facebook.
"HE'S OUT!!! Still in a fair amount of pain, but, HE'S OUT! Now they start the long ride home. Carol is hoping to do about four hours today and get a hotel," he said alongside a photo of Wyatt in a wheelchair.
He added: "Good vibes and prayers for a safe, boring and uneventful 1600 mile drive for Wyatt would be MUCH appreciated."