Skydivers Rescued from Snow Near Grand Canyon Park

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Two skydivers rescued from heavy snow when they landed off-course near the Grand Canyon National Park.

The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office says the student and instructor from Paragon Sky Dive were a couple miles from their expected landing ground south of the Grand Canyon National Park Airport Friday afternoon.

A park service helicopter spotted the pair and flew them back to the canyon South Rim.

The instructor told sheriff’s deputies they were jumping in tandem and jumped too early, causing them to miss the landing zone. The pair walked about three-quarters of a mile before the helicopter spotted them.

Sheriff’s deputies say a backhoe sent to the area to help in the rescue became stuck in the snow.