Many people might think that it was certain death if you were unlucky enough to fall dozens of meters and land directly on a mountain shelf.

But the shocking survival story of Wyatt Kauffman, a 13-year-old boy from North Dakota, USA, is now spreading around the world.

– I almost died, Wyatt Kauffman said as he left the hospital, onto the TV channel A B C.

– Fall backwards

Just four days earlier, Kauffman and his family had visited the Grand Canyon in Arizona, a national park in the United States known for its dry climate and steep mountain walls. It is considered one of the greatest tourist attractions in the world, according to Huge Norwegian encyclopedia.

And that’s probably what the 13-year-old thought as he grabbed his phone in one hand to capture the visit on his phone’s camera.

Before he knew it, it was black. The next thing he remembers is waking up in the ambulance.

– I got up and lost my balance – and fell backwards. I don’t remember anything after that, Kauffman added A B C.

When the 13-year-old lost his balance, he fell 30 meters down a mountain cliff. Rescue crews spent more than two hours picking him up after the fall and he was flown by air ambulance to hospital.

Huge damage

Although Kauffman broke nine vertebrae and an arm, ruptured his spleen, collapsed a lung and suffered a concussion, doctors expected him to be “as good as new”.

– I am lucky and very grateful to everyone who has contributed and helped, 13-year-old father Brian Kauffman told the TV channel KPHO.

Twelve people lose their lives on average in the Grand Canyon every year, according to My Grand Canyon Park. About three of them are considered fallen. About 4.5 million people visit the national park annually.