Yosemite Rock fall injures Naples man

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (KGPE) A Naples man was injured in a rock fall at El Capitan in the Yosemite National Park.

Jim Evans, of Naples, was hit in the head with a rock and may have suffered a broken skull, his family said. He was airlifted to a hospital in Modesto where he is expected to survive.

Evans and his wife Rachel, alongside Rachel’s sister and brother-in-law, were driving in their white Dodge Durango SUV around 3:15pm just below El Capitan, when a rock came falling off, sending an avalanche of rocks and debris.

Rock and rubble broke through the sun roof of their car, and filled the car up with debris and dust, the family said. Evans was driving the car and his wife said he was hit in he head with a very big rock. The rest of the family miraculously escaped with no injuries.

The family said they were in Yosemite as part of a bucket list road trip to visit various National Parks around the country. The four were actually driving out of Yosemite on Thursday afternoon and wrapping up their three day trip in the park when the rock fell. They said they are all so grateful to be alive.

Yosemite National Park officials said no trails near El Capitan have been closed.

Thursday’s rock fall is the second major rock slide in two days. Another occurred at El Capitan on Wednesday afternoon, killing 32-year old Andrew Foster, of Wales. His wife was also injured and is undergoing medical treatment at an area hospital.

Officials said both rock falls are being looked at by geologists to determine exactly how this happened.