I got 🚨RESCUED🚨 hiking the Grand Canyon.. Here's what happened..

Thanks so much for all the support and comments!!! I wish I could respond to all of them but it is overwhelming. I'm at about 85% recovery at this point and getting better daily.

I used to work at the Grand Canyon South Rim. If I had a dollar for the number of times I had people tell me "I'm an experienced hiker" and refuse to listen to warnings/advice I would be pretty happy. Thanks for posting this video to show that yes... even experienced hikers can hit real trouble in the canyons. Glad you are ok.

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we are glad you're okay

Definitely glad that it all worked out and you were able to get the help you needed. With that being said, and for those reading this thinking of hiking the Grand Canyon, what Dan attempted was simply foolish. I hiked the Grand Canyon last week and man, there were so many poor decisions throughout Dan's hike. First, R2R2R is not even technically possible at the moment (even in May when I'm typing this). The North rim is closed due to snow and extreme conditions and will not open until June. The hike from Cottonwood to the North rim is only 7 miles and should be extremely do-able in the right conditions but even now, it is nearly impossible. I'm sure when they called for a rescue and mentioned they were at the North rim trailhead the lady on the phone was thinking "umm, you're where???" Note when Dan said "we were breaking trail." Yeah, that is because you were on a closed trail. Second, attempting R2R2R without training is crazy to me. That's a 48 mile hike in extreme conditions so some training is required. Even a R2R hike requires training. For this video, a rim to river (south rim to phantom ranch, stay the night, then hike back up the following day) would have been enough. Finally, the timing of everything seemed off. Those hiking R2R or R2R2R usually will leave the South rim around 4am to ensure the best conditions . Keep in mind, it can be up to 20 degrees warmer at the bottom of the canyon and the sun is just brutal. The 7 mile hike from Phantom Ranch to Cottonwood is through what they call the box. To put it simply, it gets very hot in there. During mid-day there is no shade and no breeze. If they would have left the South rim at 4 am they would have hit the box at approximately 8 am before it got too hot. Then, they would have rolled into Cottonwood by about 1 pm giving them time to rest and relax before hitting the North rim the following morning. Again, I'm happy is all worked out but man, y'all were asking for trouble here. Would love to see you do this again but with better planning. It's an amazing place that deserves respect.

Former EMT here who lived in Kanab. You are lucky to be alive. People do not attempt this in the winter. There is no reason to do rim to rim in one day.

We always push and challenge ourselves but sometimes the biggest challenge is to know when we need to safely stop. Thank for being transparent, vulnerable, and open. I’m glad you’re recovering now.

First, I am so glad that you are going to make a full recovery and that you were with people who were able to help you. Second, I would like to share some information about rhabdomyolysis in the hopes of preventing something similar happening to someone else. I am a physical therapist and have a masters degree in exercise physiology so I have spent a lot of time studying how this can occur and can give some pointers to help keep people safe in the future. As a general rule, eccentric (lengthening) muscle contractions cause significantly more damage to a muscle than concentric (shortening) contractions. In the context of hiking, climbing hills is largely concentric (quads, hamstrings, glutes are all shortening) and descending (quadriceps are lengthening) is largely eccentric. You may have noticed that I listed more muscles for climbing than descending and this is on purpose. More muscles are involved in both scenarios but the ratios are extremely different. Descending puts a large load on the quads and doesn’t spread the effort out to as many muscle groups. The result of this is more rapid deterioration of the quads due to isolating the effort into one muscle group that is working in a way that produces the most damage. With a mile of descent on day one of this trip, the degree of damage to the muscle was obviously significant and as Dan continued it pushed him over the edge. I say all of this to make people aware of the significance of long descents. As hikers we typically think about the climbs as what makes a hike difficult. Climbing is a challenge for the muscles, heart and lungs. Descending is hard on the connective tissue that holds the muscle together and without it serious complications like this can happen. I hope this bit of background information helps someone and the awareness prevents similar situations from happening to other people.

Glad you're recovering! Rabdo' is nothing to joke around about. As an EMS provider having worked several marathons, I've seen athletes who've been training for months go into Rabdo. They've also gone into exercised induced hyperthermia which is very scary as well, which can also send you into Rabdo. I'm SO glad you got the treatment and care you did. That ranger and what he was able to do for you prior to the ambulance is KEY! Looking forward to the next hike!!! Be well!!!

Thank you for making this video, I'm 62 years old and hike sporadically, but when I do I tend to push myself. You probably saved my future-self from myself, So thank you!!

SO GLAD YOU POSTED THIS! People just get in over their heads and don't realize how easily the mountain can kill you. Any real backcountry trip is constant work from the time you leave the truck. In winter it's even worse. Just sleeping in freezing conditions burns WAY more calories and hydration than you might think. You gotta take it slow and easy. You gotta pound tons of high calorie food and drink Gatorade till your eyeballs float. Nothing is worse than hitting rock bottom in the middle of nowhere. Glad you made it out!

Hi. Glad you made it out. I was a Grand Canyon backpacking guide from 1997-2003. I would like to mention a couple of things. I always tried to not put two strenuous backpacking days back-to-back. I tried to make the second day of a strenuous backpack be a rest day. If not an option, I would try to make both days short days, getting in camp well before dark. Waking up that second morning knowing that It will be easier than the first day is a sweet feeling. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten into camp many times after 18 hour days, just not on the first or second days. Another thing to consider is the elevation factor...i.e. the 10/1 rule....every foot of elevation change is the equivalent to 10 feet of flat walking. So the 7 miles from cottonwood to north rim was really the equivalent to 15 miles, if factoring in the elevation. Throw in the snow and heavy packs and it becomes the equivalent of a 20+ mile backpack. Trudging up a steep trail in snow requires the same exertion as jogging. BTW, anyone can test the the 10/1 rule at home. Time yourself as you walk or run 1000 feet (1.5 city blocks) at a reasonable heart rate. Then climb a 100 foot tall stairway (10 story building) maintaining the same heart rate. You will find that both do the same amount of work, and hence the same amount of effort. They also both take the same amount of time, as long as you keep the same heart rate.

When I saw Dan going up the North Rim the next day without a day to recuperate, I knew it was over. Never rush a difficult hike, especially in dangerous condition. Always rest and allow your body to rest/recover between hikes.

I respect you for leaving in part about the rangers warning you. Most people would have been too embarrassed or proud to admit they were warned, let alone, show it. I think it speaks for your character. I hope you have a speedy recovery and this experience helps you grow into a stronger hiker. Your content is a big part of what got me into hiking and I can't wait to see what adventures you have coming up in the future. Until the next one, be safe.

Thank God for all the people who were there to help you. Mad respect for all the human beings that made sure Dan got help. "A man who has friends must be a friend, but there is a friend who stays nearer than a brother."

I really appreciated your vulnerability in posting this video. It's very humbling to admit we need help...it takes courage to allow others to cover for us. Blessings for all your future journeys

I'm mostly impressed by the fact that you're willing yo let other people learn from your experience. I bet that will save a life or two. I hike in arctic environments during winter, and it's difficult to convey just how different it is to the uninitiated. I personally to treat every trip like an expedition, 5 months in advance. I think your video was able to communicate that winter is not just about cold. Thank you for being you.

This one brought me to tears, as a backpacker and also a nurse. I am so so,glad you got out safely Dan.

This is 100% a video EVERY hiker needs to watch! I'm so glad you're OK. I hope you can do some recovery type videos to help educate us even more.

I was an inner canyon park ranger at the Grand Canyon from 2016-2020, and I saw my fair share of rhabdomyolysis in visitors to Phantom. I put no small number of them on the park helicopter to be flown out. During my time observing and helping visitors in the canyon, I found it to be a somewhat unexpected dichotomy. For those who plan well and respect the challenge it poses, it's really no big deal. But for those who overestimate their own abilities and/or underestimate the challenge, i.e. plan poorly, it can really do them harm, sometimes to the point of bringing an end to their lives. I'm glad you made it out okay and are on the road to recovery. I definitely recommend that you take another trip there, now that you're armed with the wisdom gained from your experience. I predict a much more enjoyable experience next time, one which will allow you to really take in the beautiful and sublime.

Glad you are ok Dan! As a hiker myself, Ultra to 24hrs OCR runner, Rhabdo is a series issue if you are doing extreme events and keep on pushing without taking proper breaks and fueling your body. There is a lot that goes into this as well. How much water you take, if you are replacing salt intake and eating food. Winter is a bit harder because you don't feel like you are burning a lot. If you are not peeing enough you are not drinking enough, if you are peeing too much you don't have enough salt. Eating every 45 minutes to make sure your body is fueled before it even gets to half a tank. It's a complete science behind it. And! Especially for Emmett and everyone else, avoid Ibuprofen! It will destroy your kidneys more. Tylenol is the safest pain killer to use if need be.