Arizona Hiker Rescued by Helicopter After Falling 70 Feet Into Canyon

An Arizona man was hiking along Indian Maiden Falls Trail in Arizona when he fell 70 feet into a canyon. With broken bones and a fractured skull, Jacob Velarde was unable to get help.

The trail is known for its picturesque, but rocky terrain. As he was hiking, he said the trail fell apart beneath him and he landed several stories down. "One second, I felt everything fall beneath me and the next I was already on the ground and hit my head on a rock," Velarde told Inside Edition.

He crawled around in pain, only surviving on water for 29 hours. Luckily, a family hiking on the same trail heard his cries for help. 

"I heard somebody kind of faintly yelling, 'I fell off a cliff,'" Eric Glomski told Inside Edition. "Then we came upon this guy on a rock under a tree along the stream who was clearly messed up."

Glomski ran for miles to get a cell signal to call for help. "I've come across a guy who fell down a cliff. He has a broken ankle, possibly broken wrist. Head wounds front and back. He’s conscious and lucid," he said in the 911 call.

Then, a rescue team flew in by helicopter and took him up to safety. He suffered skull and ankle fractures, along with a broken nose, but he knows it could have been so much worse. 

"They were amazing at taking care of me and giving me the help I needed," Velarde said. 

He is planning to reunite with the family who saved him this weekend so he can thank them again in person.

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