A West Valley man was flown to the University of Utah Hospital in critical condition Saturday after tumbling down a rock hillside in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Alex Fedorov, 37, was hiking alone in the canyon near the Lake Blanch area below Sundial Peak when he fell and rolled 75 feet down a jagged rocky hillside, said Todd Griffiths, spokesman for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Two hikers discovered Fedorov soon after the fall. One stayed with him while the other hiked to where he could receive cell-phone service and call for help.

Fedorov sustained severe injuries to his head and legs and likely would have died had he not been discovered by the other hikers, said Griffiths.

Rescue workers called in helicopters because, Griffiths said, it would have taken hours to hike to the elevation where Fedorov fell.

Fedorov was undergoing surgery late Saturday night, a hospital spokesman said.


E-mail: dgardiner@desnews.com

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