A mother and her young son were subject to a harrowing ordeal at Starved Rock State Park when they fell into a canyon late Tuesday. The Utica Fire Department reported the incident at French Canyon, where the pair plummeted an estimated 25 to 30 feet. According to CBS Chicago, emergency responders arrived within seven minutes of the call at 5:57 p.m. and found the 37-year-old woman and her 7-year-old son both stabilized, but injured after the fall.
The victims, residents of Tinley Park, were airlifted to OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria. Thankfully, their injuries were not considered life-threatening. Additionally, the boy's father, who had climbed down into the canyon after the accident, was also rescued, although he did not sustain any injuries. "The family was from Tinley Park," the fire department said.
Rescue teams employed a "high-angle rope rescue system" to retrieve the mother and child from the canyon. NBC Chicago reports that the life flight was dispatched due to the nature of their injuries.
While the fall is "believed to be accidental," per fire officials, precise details leading up to the event were not disclosed.
