After a hiker plummeted hundreds of feet from an 11,700-foot Utah peak onto a narrow cliff ledge, state search-and-rescue teams executed a perilous high-altitude hoist.
A hiker slid hundreds of feet down Utah’s Mount Timpanogos while hiking in late October (Photo: UCSO)
Published November 4, 2026 11:03AM
Newly released helicopter footage shows the dramatic moment rescuers saved a hiker who fell from the summit of Mount Timpanogos, a 11,700-foot peak in Utah’s Wasatch Range.
On October 26, a female hiker fell off the trail and slid several hundred feet from the peak. She landed on a small ledge on a cliff, according to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO). Authorities have not released the woman’s name or age.
“We have heard that the hiker is recovering well from her injuries, and we wish her a full and speedy recovery,” the agency wrote in a statement on November 3. “Thank you to all those agencies that rushed to the rescue. This incident is a stark reminder of how fast a fun outing can turn into a life-or-death situation.”
Quickly Deteriorating Conditions Can Turn a Trail Deadly
About 50 miles from Salt Lake City, Mount Timpanogos is accessible via two strenuous trails: Timpooneke and Aspen Grove. Both trails are roughly 14 miles out-and-back and cross snowfields and steep scree fields. Day hikes often take between eight and 12 hours, according to Explore Utah Valley.
While Timpanogos is a popular late-summer day hike, snowstorms can sweep through the high-elevation summit beginning in late September, making trail conditions unpredictable and sometimes dangerous.
A Harrowing Helicopter Hoist Rescue
The video shows the mountain summit where the hiker started their trek, the steep slope they slid down, and the small ledge where they stopped. According to the UCSO, search-and-rescue crews initially spotted the woman from an airplane before sending in the Utah Department of Public Safety Helicopter Crew helicopter to hoist her to an awaiting ambulance.
“The hiker was badly injured during the fall and was taken by Lone Peak Fire Department to the Utah Valley Hospital,” the UCSO wrote in an October 26 Facebook post.
The responding agencies remind hikers to use extreme caution when recreating in high elevations where snow and ice are present. In the late fall, snow can melt and refreeze, turning trails into icy ramps. Knowing how to self-arrest with an ice axe and carrying mountaineering gear is essential.
“We are extremely grateful for the outcome of today’s rescue and our awesome partners,” UCSO said.
