>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

ENTERPRISE — An Enterprise teen remains in fair condition in a Boise hospital after having fallen while climbing in the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Kyle Stewart, 19, sustained double compound leg fractures while attempting to climb steep terrain near Maxwell Lake some 13 miles southwest of Enterprise, according to a Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office press release.

“It was a life-threatening situation,” Wallowa County Sheriff Fred Steen said.

At about 2 p.m. Wednesday the sheriff’s office received a cell 9-1-1 call from Stewart’s hiking companion, Dustin Creps. Creps had to climb to the top of the ridge to get cell coverage, Steen said.

Wallowa County Search and Rescue, along with Life Flight out of McCall, Idaho, were notified.

A Life Flight helicopter was dispatched to the scene.

Life Flight located Stewart and was able to remove him from the side of a cliff before search and rescue volunteers could get to the location.

Stewart had compound fractures of the tibia and fibula bones in the lower leg, Steen said.

Stewart was transported to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.

“It all worked out really well,” Steen said.