PROVO CANYON— A 32-year-old Park City woman was in critical condition after falling 40 feet while ice climbing Bridal Veil Falls.
The woman, along with a male friend, were climbing in the popular area known as the "Stairway to Heaven" about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when she fell. Provo Fire Battalion Chief Tom Augustus wasn't immediately sure whether she slipped or if the ice broke away. He noted, however, that other climbers had mentioned to officials, "The ice has dried out a little and is brittle right now."
The man she was climbing with, who is in his 30s, was hit by falling ice debris and suffered minor injuries, but was able to scale down the frozen waterfall.
Rescue teams from Provo and Utah County assisted in getting the two down from the bottom of the falls, about 350 feet from the ground. The woman, whose name was not immediately available, was not conscious when emergency crews arrived. Although Augustus said her condition improved before she was taken to the hospital, she was still flown by medical helicopter in critical condition.
The man, whose name was also not immediately released, was taken by ambulance in fair condition to be checked out for minor injuries.
— Pat Reavy, Twitter: DNewsCrimeTeam