Seth Wyckoff Falls 50 Feet Trying To Take Picture, Survives

Seth Wyckoff fell 50 feet – nearly to his death – when he climbed out on a ledge at the Cantwell Cliffs in Ohio while trying to take a picture of an ice formation.

Man Survives 50-Foot Freefall

Wyckoff miraculously survived the fall, although he broke his back in two places, broke his leg and left heel, fractured his cheekbone and lost a number of teeth.

“I remember most of everything,” Wyckoff, 28, told WBNS-10TV of the fall. “I remember catching some ice and taking my feet out from under me. I remember going over the fall in a freefall, a feeling of weightlessness. As soon as that happened, my mind told me to look down and see where I was going to fall.”

Wyckoff admits that he put his own life at risk, hiking out beyond a sign that read “Danger Keep Out,” and hopes that his story of near-death will keep others from trying their luck.

“There was a sign that was 20 feet from where I was that said you shouldn’t go that way,” he said. “It’s a cautionary tale.”

Wyckoff’s medical bills have reached more than $200,000. To raise funds to cover the costs, his family has helped him set up an auction.

– Chelsea Regan