A US tourist was hiking in Western Australia when he plunged eight metres down a gorge... he was saved by four strangers in a miraculous tale of survival

Published: 10:12, 14 June 2026 | Updated: 10:16, 14 June 2026 An American has recalled the moment he was rescued by strangers after plunging eight metres into a gorge and becoming unconscious in remote Western Australia.  Alabama officer Antonio Fanning was hiking in Karijini National Park’s Joffre Gorge last July when he fell roughly eight metres, bounced off rock ledges and landed face down in a rocky pool.  The Auburn city police officer suffered a fractured vertebra and wrist, multiple head injuries, and a dislocated finger.   Mr Fanning told 7News this week he thought he was in less danger than he actually was.  'I thought the ledge was going to stop me, but I kept on going,' he said.  'My momentum kept me going down to the bottom. I don't remember hitting the water.'  Four other travellers, including Australian Christian Borg, witnessed the accident and managed to help the unconscious officer.  'I had just seen Antonio crashing down,' Mr Borg said.  An American cop has been rescued by strangers after plunging into an almost eight metre gorge in the Western Australian bush, leaving him unconscious 'He bounced first, then hit this ledge and landed face down in the water unconscious. 'We just ran over and pulled him out of the water.'  The four then administered first aid while waiting for Parks and Wildlife rangers, St John WA paramedics and State Emergency Service volunteers to arrive.     Mr Fanning was laid on a stretcher and winched 60m up to the surface, with the whole procedure taking about five hours.        Ranger Michael Bones said Mr Fanning was incredibly calm during the rescue.  'In a state like that, it would be understandable if you were quite agitated and very scared,' he said. 'But he did seem to be very composed.  Alabama officer Antonio Fanning was hiking in Karijini National Park's Joffre Gorge last July when he fell about eight metres 'Then we found out later that he was a police officer from the US, so I'm sure that probably had something to do with it.' Mr Bones also praised the four hikers who played a massive part in the rescue. 'Those young guys played an incredible role and potentially saved this guy's life by providing first aid and alerting us so we could engage all the appropriate services,' he said. 'Most of the people involved had already worked a full day. They're coming out here and they're at Joffre Gorge until 10 o'clock at night helping someone that's got themselves into trouble.  'It's fantastic work and a real testament to the people who gave up their time to help someone else.' Mr Bones said he was relieved to hear that Mr Fanning made a full recovery and was back working as an officer at Alabama's East Samford School.  'It's obviously such a relief to hear that Antonio has had a successful recovery,' he said.  'He was extremely lucky in that situation.  The Auburn city police officer suffered a fractured vertebra and wrist, multiple head injuries, and a dislocated finger  'The outcome speaks for itself.' Nine months on, he recorded a video thanking all those who saved his life.  'I want to thank everybody involved in my rescue down in Western Australia,' Mr Fanning said.  'From Christian and his friends that found me, got me out of the water, bandaged me up and stayed with me the whole night until I got put into an ambulance. 'I want to thank the park rangers, the emergency personnel, the whole volunteer crew that came out and rescued me that night. I appreciate everybody. Thank you.' Daily Mail contacted Western Australian Police for comment.   No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.