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Kalispell man suffers head injury after fall from Practice Rock in Hyalite Canyon

Posted at 7:33 PM, Jun 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-16 21:33:52-04

KALISPELL — A climber was transported to the hospital via air ambulance Saturday evening after falling at Practice Rock, according to the Hyalite Fire Department.

In a Facebook update, the department said a climber fell around 20 feet and was extracted in critical condition via helicopter rescue.

The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Gallatin County Search and Rescue, American Medical Response, and REACH Air Medical Services also responded to the incident.

In a press release sent Sunday, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office said the injured climber was a 23-year-old Kalispell man who suffered a “significant head injury” after falling while climbing.

Rescuers responded to Practice Rock in Hyalite Canyon around 6:30 p.m. Saturday and had the man evacuated in about an hour, the release said.

Sheriff Brian Gootkin described the rescue as “technically difficult,” adding, “We are grateful for the skill of our search and rescue volunteers and the help from other agencies. It is not easy to get an injured person out of that area, but the SAR Team is really good at what they do.”

No further information about the climber’s condition or extent of injuries was released.