Farmington man injured in fall into icy stream

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — A Farmington man suffered a broken leg and hypothermia after falling 20 to 30 feet into a shallow and rocky stream underneath a waterfall on Saturday.

Jeffrey Williams, 59, was hiking with his daughter and her boyfriend up the side of Doughnut Falls about 1:30 p.m. when the snow on the side of the mountain he was climbing gave way, said Unified Police Department Lt. Don Hutson.

Williams fell into the creek at the bottom. He landed directly under the waterfall, which still had a steady stream running down despite the winter weather. His leg was so badly injured that he was unable to get out of the cold water and was forced to sit under the waterfall until help arrived, Hutson said.

The daughter and boyfriend hiked back to Big Cottonwood Road to call 911.

Salt Lake County Search and Rescue Teams used snowmobiles and a large sled to carry the man down to a waiting medical helicopter. He was believed to have been in the water for nearly three hours. Hutson said the man may have suffered some internal injuries in addition to the broken leg.

Williams, who reportedly had been training for a marathon, was in good shape and did not lose consciousness the entire time.

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