Man Rescued After Fleeing Deputy, Jumping Canyon Wall

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KLIX) – Local emergency crews had an adventure Wednesday night when they rappelled into the Snake River Canyon to retrieve a man who, in an effort to escape law enforcement, jumped over the canyon wall.

The incident started a little before 11 p.m. near the Twin Falls Visitor Center, according to the Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy was in the vicinity searching for a person of whom it was reported may be suicidal, when the deputy saw an Isuzu SUV enter the Outback Steakhouse parking lot at a high rate of speed, skidded and spun around. When the vehicle stopped, the suspect fled from the vehicle on foot.

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old David T. Geul, of Sparks, Nev., ran to near the Perrine Bridge and leaped over the safety wall. The deputy leaned over the wall and saw Geul stand up, and then watched him fall about 50 feet from the ledge he was standing on. Geul hit his head on rocks, but was conscious and followed the deputy’s instruction to wrap his head with his shirt.

When the county’s Search and Rescue and SORT team arrived, a rescuer rappelled into the canyon to retrieve Geul. He was transported by ground ambulance to St. Luke’s Magic Valley Hospital a little before 1 a.m. Thursday.

The sheriff’s office says Geul was not the suicidal subject law enforcement was attempting to locate, and it is unclear why he ran from the deputy. This incident is still being investigated.