Hiker survives 400ft canyon fall with minor injuries

A teenager in Washington state has survived a 400ft (120m) tumble down the side of a canyon with only "minimal injuries", police say.

He was rescued in a "safe and successful operation", officers added in their weekend Facebook post. They posted images of the mission, during which the team used a harness off the nearby High Steel Bridge.

The local fire service reported the person involved was 19 years old and "incredibly lucky" to be alive.

The teenager - whose identity has not been made public - is said to have been hiking when he fell.

"He was walking down a washout that a lot of people use, and has kind of become a trail," said Matthew Wealander, the fire chief.

"It’s not a trail. It’s a washout, it’s too steep.

"And (he) ended up all the way down at the river, sliding,” Mr Wealander told reporters at the site.

The teenager was taken to hospital for evaluation, NBC News reported.

Authorities have reminded people not to hike in the area, which they describe as being hazardous to walkers and rescuers alike. Several people die there each year, and some suicides are also reported in the area.

“We’ve told people to stay off these trails because they’re dangerous, but people either haven’t seen the warning signs or are disregarding it,” according to a police officer involved in the rescue.

The High Steel Bridge - which was used by rescuers to retrieve the teenager - spans the Skokomish River and formerly hosted a railway.