MOAB, Utah — Months after a dramatic video captured the moment when an Australian BASE jumper crashed into the side of a Moab cliff, his rescuer was awarded for saving his life.
The incident happened at the end of November and video captured by a witness showed the BASE jumper, identified only as a 39-year-old Australian man, gliding backward momentarily before slamming into a cliff and dangling 80 feet in the air.
He crashed after jumping from a 400-foot cliff near Abraxas Tower when a gust of wind hit his parachute.
WATCH: Dramatic video shows BASE jumper slamming into Moab cliff
In the moments after the crash, River Berry, from Millcreek, jumped into action.
"We all witnessed an individual climbing from the ground up the cliff face towards the BASE jumper," said Grand County Sheriff Jamison Wiggins. "The individual was later identified as River Berry."
Wiggins remembers the rescue because he was there, watching from a distance as Berry scaled 100 feet up the side of the cliff to get to the injured man.
"River successfully climbed the face and was able to safely secure the BASE jumper," Wiggins recalled. "River then slowly and carefully rappelled back down to the ground with the injured party."
As Berry was climbing up, Grand County Search and Rescue teams were figuring out how they would rappel down several hundred feet.
"The Grand County Sheriff's Search and Rescue had plans to rappel roughly 300 feet down to perform a rescue," Wiggins explained "This operation would have taken more time - time that the BASE jumper may or may not have had due to the circumstances of dangling on the cliff face."
For her life-saving effort, Berry received the life-saving award from the Grand County Sheriff's Office and a plaque to commemorate her heroic efforts.
"Without River Berry's selfless act, this incident could have ended much more differently with the potential for loss of life," Wiggins said.
Berry said during the short awards ceremony that in those types of situations, instinct kicks in.
"When you're in that moment, all you do - is do," she explained. "There's no time for thinking."
She thanked officials for their recognition and they joked that she'd be a great addition to their team.
"Like I told her privately, we're hiring at the search and rescue," Wiggins joked. "She'd make a great addition."
After Berry successfully rescued the man off the side of the cliff, crews took charge and transported him to the hospital in critical condition.
His identity and an update on his condition was not made available by officials.
