ADAMS COUNTY, Idaho — One person was airlifted to the hospital after their vehicle plunged off of a narrow road above Hells Canyon Tuesday evening.
The crash happened on Klein Schmidt Grade in Adams County, a notoriously steep and narrow dirt road that winds up from the canyon.
According to Idaho State Police, Donald B. Jordan, 44, of Portland, Oregon, was driving a 2011 Chevy Tahoe up the grade. His vehicle exited the roadway on the left shoulder and rolled 600 feet to the bottom of the ravine.
His friend was able to locate him using GPS spot locators. Jordan was trapped in the vehicle from 9:30 p.m. Tuesday until 7 a.m. Wednesday.
Dispatch in Adams County called in the Baker County Sheriff's Office to help. Deputies responded to the scene, but quickly realized the drop off was too steep for them to reach the injured driver. The Baker County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team was called in at 2 a.m., at which time Sheriff Travis Ash and the SAR team began working on a technical rope rescue.
Rescuers used a rope and winch system to lift the patient up the hillside, successfully getting the person up to the road by 5:39 a.m.
Police say Jordan was not wearing a seatbelt. He was transported by air ambulance to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. The extent of his injuries is unknown.
The wreck remains under investigation by Idaho State Police.
