Family members: Woman injured in rappelling fall faces long road to recovery

LEHI — Family members on Friday said a woman faced a long road ahead but also showed encouraging signs after she was critically injured in a 60-foot fall in the Red Ledges area of Diamond Fork Canyon.

According to information shared earlier this week by the Utah County Sheriff's Office, the woman in her late 40s was injured around 1 p.m. Tuesday in a rappelling accident and was transported by medical helicopter to the hospital.

Family members identified the woman as Erin Webb.

Webb's niece, Jesse Craig Bailey, told KSL the woman shattered a vertebra, broke both ankles, fractured one of her legs and broke her hand, among other injuries sustained during the fall.

Bailey said Webb had already undergone multiple surgeries and faced up to a year of recovery for some of the injuries but has been displaying some positive signs.

"She's showing some movement," Bailey said. "She's able to move both of her legs, which we're so grateful for, and she was able to grasp things this morning, so we're really encouraged by that."

Bailey said Webb loves outdoor activities including paddleboarding, canyoneering and rappelling.

"She's a really experienced rock climber," Bailey said. "This was something that she had a lot of experience with, so it was kind of just a freak accident. We still don't really know what happened."

Bailey said her aunt is a light to everyone around her.

"She just has the best, infectious energy, the best laugh," Bailey said. "She just loves life. She's a fantastic mom. She's a mom of five awesome kids, and she's a fantastic daughter, aunt, sister, cousin, friend — you name it. To know Erin is to love Erin."

Bailey said the family was simply hoping for prayers from the community.

"For now, all things considered, we're making progress in the right direction and we're just grateful for all the prayers and we know that with everything it's been nothing short of a miracle considering how far she fell and the state that she's in right now," Bailey said. "We're all believers and we've already seen so many miracles so far and so just to continue to keep her and her family in mind is all we can ask for."