ST. GEORGE – A 76-year-old man who sustained a serious head injury at Toquerville Falls was rescued and flown to the hospital Saturday afternoon.
At about 2:40 p.m., rescuers received a call to the incident which was located along LaVerkin Creek, about 5 miles by dirt road from Toquerville.
“Apparently he slipped approximately 10-12 feet, hit a ledge and then hit the rocks at the bottom,” Washington County Search and Rescue Liaison Darrell Cashin said.
The man had a severe head injury; bystanders were attempting to control the bleeding, Cashin said.
Hurricane Valley Fire EMS and Washington County Search and Rescue were called out; search and rescue volunteers picked up five members of Hurricane Valley Fire EMS and headed for the incident.
Intermountain Life Flight was initially called and put on standby, however, two nurses who were at Toquerville Falls evaluated the man.
As Search and Rescue and Hurricane fire crews were traveling to the scene, the nurses on scene determined that the man needed immediate care.
“So they launched Life Flight at that point,” Cashin said.
The Life Flight helicopter arrived by air before the other responders.
“Then Search and Rescue and Hurricane EMS got on scene … and then they stabilized the victim, got him in a Stokes (litter) and carried him on a backboard to Life Flight,” Cashin said, which was about 100 yards.
The man was then transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center.
An Intermountain Life Flight crew, nine members of Washington County Search and Rescue and five members of the Hurricane Valley Fire Department responded to the accident, Cashin said.
The incident was wrapped up by about 4:20 p.m.
This report is based on preliminary information provided by emergency responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.
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