A Las Vegas backpacker was injured after he fell on Mount Tipton in Arizona Monday afternoon.
The Mohave County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue technical rope rescue team and Department of Public Safety Ranger helicopter were called out at 4:30 p.m. Monday to rescue a backpacker who had injured his head and hand. The rescue took place on the rugged western slopes of Mount Tipton at an elevation of about 6,000 feet.
The backpacker later identified as Sean Taylor, 39, of Las Vegas had camped Sunday night on Mount Tipton and was attempting to descend a steep and rugged canyon toward the trailhead when he fell and was injured. He could not continue and called for help.
Search & Rescue members arrived on scene and assisted with the helicopter, using a rope hanging below the helicopter. The plan was to rappel a Search & Rescue technical rope technician to Taylor, prepare him to connect to the rope and do a short-haul extraction. Mohave County officials said the sun was going down rapidly and there was insufficient light to complete the short-haul maneuver.
A Search & Rescue team member rappelled from the helicopter to Taylor and decided to attempt hiking and climbing down the steep canyon wall to the wash bottom and find a spot where the helicopter could do a one-skid technique to load Taylor. The canyon where Taylor was injured was too narrow and had too many trees to safely attempt a helicopter landing.
After about four hours of descending the wash, Taylor and the rescuer reached a part of the canyon where there was sufficient room for the helicopter to hover above a large rock. Taylor and the rescuer were able to enter the helicopter while it was still in the air.
Taylor was flown to Kingman Regional Medical Center for treatment.
