Posted on 09/10/2004 10:13:35 PM PDT by rdl6989
Aron Ralston had set out for a carefree desert hike through Blue John Canyon in Southeastern Utah when, with no warning, he had descended into hell. The young man's arm was trapped by an 800-pound boulder and he was forced to make an unimaginable decision in order to survive.
Ralson: "And I was hanging from the boulder, from the top of it, where the last good handholds were. And that was when it shifted. So I dropped down here... and the boulder came and it smashed my left hand here, and it smashed my right hand up here. And then it slid down and it actually dragged my arm down and my arm was right about here.
"I threw myself against the boulder, just trying to get my knee onto this boulder, just lifting up, pushing up. But still, it was -- my hand was trapped. And progressively the pain faded as my hand lost sensation."
Ralston was pinned to the canyon wall by an 800-pound boulder. He was at the bottom of a hole in a hidden canyon, 100 feet beneath the desert surface, 20 miles from the nearest paved road and surrounded by hundreds more miles of uninhabited desert.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
The man had to cut his arm off to escape from the canyon after he fell in a crevice. I don't know if I could do it. I would probably drop the knife. Then what?
Ah gee, that would be my luck too! I guess never ask, "How could this day be any worse?"
It is a miracle he didn't bleed to death.
His knife could not cut the bone. He had to twist and wrench his arm back and forth until he broke its two bones, then cut the skin, flesh, tendons, and nerves with his dull knife until, at last, the remains of his arm were free.He then hiked out of the canyon. A true triumph of the will.
Good illustration of the Dems current situation.
That's what I was thinking as well. I really don't know how he survived. I was reading a little bit about the Bataan Death March a couple of months ago when they were doing the WWII Memorial event. To read what those men went through and some of them survived through years of extreme abuse. It's amazing what some humans can survive. I know I'm squishy and it wouldn't take much to do me in.
Can you imagine the pain he went through? And then he had to walk back to civilization.
With my luck, I'd be cutting through my arm when a large search party would show up.
What is one of the first rules of back country travel?
NEVER TRAVEL ALONE or TELL SOMEONE WHERE YOU WILL BE.
I have violated these rules also.
I have violated these rules also. I have too.
Colorado folks are tough. A year or so ago, a hiker trapped by a boulder. He amputated his own leg. It was starting to snow and he knew he could not wait to be found. I doubt I could do it. I am not good with blood...
The young man is a complete fool....this is an old story. I am glad he survived but he made the biggest dumb ass mistake that anyone could ever make when climbing...HE WENT OUT ALONE AND TOLD NO ONE OF HIS PLANNED WHERE ABOUTS...he's just lucky that his number hadn't come up yet else wise we still wouldn't know who or where he was....not till his bones showed up. I do not think it courageous or brave when you have to pull your head out of a sh*t pile in order to breath
BUMP!!! Will be on in the West Coast in about an hour!!
Freakin' AMAZING ping.
Oh . . . my . . . GOD.
It's on now...West Coast.
If you have to go thru life with a disability, a lost hand is something you can work around. At least he has good mobility with two legs.
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