Medical emergencies on your river trip are initially handled by your guides who are trained in wilderness medicine with at least a Wilderness First Responder Certification, CPR Certification, and Critical Incident Response Training. Grand Canyon National Park Search and Rescue (GCNP SAR) will be contacted as quickly as possible if the emergency requires an evacuation. GCNP SAR coordinates all evacuations and in most cases deploys their helicopter to transport evacuees to the rim or other medical facilities. Contact with GCNP SAR is subject to satellite connectivity through satellite phone and satellite texting / SOS device carried on every trip. Steep canyon walls can make satellite connectivity difficult and may delay evacuation. It is always important to remember that a trip through the Grand Canyon takes you through remote backcountry and advanced medical care is at least an hour, if not days away.
Please reference our Inherent Risks in Adventuring page.