Hooey. NOLS reports between 1 and 0.54 injury evacuations per one thousand field days. They're using roughly two million field days for reporting basis. Medical evacuation rates, a somewhat different matter, were slightly lower.

This report is perhaps a good measure of risk to hikers, or, if not, is at least interesting and extremely detailed.

http://www.nols.edu./resources/research/pdfs/medical_incidents_evacs.pdf

P.S. Am well-acquainted with where that guy at Gunks did the ground fall. He is within my circle of acquantances, but I'm unsure if I've met him.

It's a 5.2 pitch. Obviously he should have placed more gear, but I'd say he was just having a really, really bad day.