Zion National Park hiker rescued after falling, being impaled

A hiker’s critical fall from a steep path in Zion National Park makes three falls within the final month on the standard southwest vacation spot. The first two Zion hikers who fell died from their accidents, however the third, who reportedly fell 35 toes, was rescued and transported to a neighborhood hospital, in response to park spokesperson Matt Fink.

“At approximately 1:25 pm on May 8, 2026, Zion National Park received a report of a hiker accidentally falling from the Kayenta Trail,” Fink informed SFGATE by electronic mail. “First responders were immediately dispatched to the scene and began administering medical care.”

At round 3:20 pm, the hiker was hoisted by a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter to the Zion Lodge helispot, Fink continued. From there, Intermountain Life Flight took the hiker to the hospital. The Kayenta Trail, which runs a couple of mile alongside the Virgin River earlier than rising to the Upper and Lower Emerald Pools, was closed throughout the rescue, however it reopened at round 3:35 pm, Fink wrote.

According to St. George Newsthe injured hiker could have suffered damaged bones, and his left leg was “reportedly impaled by a branch that medical personnel on the ground decided not to remove during transport, according to Intermountain Flight audio dispatch.”

The incident follows the April 22 death of William Lewisa 43-year-old from Hillsborough on the San Francisco Peninsula, who was mountaineering in Spry Canyon when he fell. Just 5 days prior, 68-year-old Gilberto Ramos of Laredo, Texas, slipped on the well-known cable part of Angels Landing, falling more than 1,000 feet to his dying.

Zion averages round three deaths per yearwith slips and falls being the commonest trigger, in response to nationwide park statistics from 2007 to 2025.