Man survives 200-foot plunge into Palo Duro Canyon

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Updated  March 11, 2026 8:30am CDT
FOX Local

(Source: Texas State Park Police)

The Brief

    • A driver survived an overnight ordeal in Palo Duro Canyon after a tire blowout caused his vehicle to plunge 200 feet off a cliff and land upside down.
    • The man remained in the wreckage until daybreak on Monday before walking to a park pavilion to find help; he is now hospitalized with broken ribs and a possible concussion.
    • A massive technical recovery involving high-angle ropes and multiple agencies was required to pull the vehicle back up the steep canyon wall.

CANYON, Texas - A driver is recovering at Northwest Texas Hospital after his vehicle veered off a cliff and rolled 200 feet into Palo Duro Canyon, where he remained stranded overnight before seeking help Monday morning.

Driver survives overnight in canyon after tire blowout

What we know:

The incident began late Sunday, March 8, 2026. The driver told investigators that a tire blowout caused him to lose control of his vehicle on Park Road 5 after dark. The car left the roadway at a turnout on the "Big Hill" and tumbled approximately 200 feet down the canyon wall, landing upside down.

The driver managed to exit the wreckage and stayed in the canyon until daybreak. On Monday morning, he walked to the Mack Dick Pavilion, where a park visitor spotted him and alerted staff at 11:49 a.m.

Park employees reported the man appeared to have a black eye and was bleeding. Shortly after, at 12:05 p.m., staff spotted the overturned vehicle below the cliffside.

Multi-agency rescue and recovery

(Source: Texas State Park Police)
(Source: Texas State Park Police)
(Source: Texas State Park Police)
(Source: Texas State Park Police)
(Source: Texas State Park Police)
(Source: Texas State Park Police)
(Source: Texas State Park Police)
(Source: Texas State Park Police)

The report triggered a massive response including Texas State Park Police, the Randall County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers, and fire crews from Canyon and Randall County.

Because of the steep terrain, rescue personnel deployed a high-angle ropes system to reach the vehicle. Working with Canyon/Sierra Towing, crews lowered cables to hook the car and pull it back to the roadway. Park Road 5 was closed at both the top and bottom of the hill during the extraction for visitor safety.

The driver was admitted to the hospital with injuries believed to include broken ribs and a possible concussion.

Texas State Park Police and the Texas Department of Public Safety are continuing to investigate the crash. Authorities expressed gratitude to the various agencies that assisted in the technical recovery and medical response.

The Source: Information in this article is from the Randall County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Texas State Park Police.

Texas