Latest news with #KellMorris
Daily Mail
05-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Man experiences his own 127 Hours horror as he's pinned by 700lb boulder in Alaska water-filled canyon
An Alaska man was in for a thriller movie of his own when he found himself trapped under a 700-pound boulder during what was meant to be a peaceful canyon hike with his wife. On May 24, Kell Morris and Joanna Roop decided to avoid the crowded trails that Memorial Day weekend often brings and make their way to a secluded hike 120 miles south of Anchorage, Alaska. Little did they know that the decision would find them in their own version of the movie '127 Hours,' which follows a climber who was trapped for five days when a boulder crushed his arm. Played by James Franco, he finally chose to amputate his own limb rather than continue to wait for rescue and die in the process. The story, which is based on the experiences of real-life Aron Ralston, serves as a cautionary tale for outdoorsmen like Morris. Fortunately for Morris, no amputation was required for his dramatic three-hour rescue. The couple started their hike in a creek next to Godwin Glacier in Seward - and the icy path was lined with boulders. But since they'd hiked the path before, Morris and Roop weren't expecting any of those boulders to come tumbling down on them. As they walked, they avoided the rocks as best they could, but eventually came to a rocky area they could not pass. Before he knew it, the entire side of the creek slid out from under him and according to 'an avalanche of boulders' came tumbling down behind him. He felt one hit his back and next thing he knew, Morris, 61, was facedown on the ground completely unable to move. His wife, a 61-year-old former police officer, attempted to rescue him herself. But after half an hour she left to find cell service and call for help. Morris told Daily Mail he was unsure they'd be able to get any help at all because of how remote the location was. The hiker also couldn't be reached by all-terrain vehicles, leaving emergency services to look for other solutions. In a stroke of luck, a firefighter at Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department overheard the 911 dispatch, according to The New York Times. He happened to work for Seward Helicopter Tours and offered up one of their choppers to usher first responders to the scene of the incident. While they waited, the freezing water from the creek surrounding Morris continued to rise, thanks to pressure from the boulder and the melting glaciers. In a heroic move, Roop held her husband's head above water to keep him from drowning. Finally, 45 minutes later, firefighters from Bear Creek and the Seward Fire Department got to work. But, the process of moving a 700-pound boulder is easier said than done. It took seven men three hours to rescue Morris. At first, he said, 'everything was about assessing how bad it was.' Since Morris was stable, his wife and the firefighters took their time figuring out how best to approach the removal. The whole time, he drifted in and out of consciousness. Neither he nor his wife were sure he would make it out. Even Seward Fire Chief Clinton Crites wasn't confident. 'I fully anticipated a body recovery, not him walking away without a scratch on him,' Crites said. Miraculously, other rocks beneath the boulder held a lot of its weight off of Morris. As the giant rock held him down, Morris said he felt sharp tension in his leg and expected to walk away with a broken femur at the very least. But thanks to the quick thinking of his wife and the local fire departments, he left with some just some bruising and what he thinks is a touch of frostbite. In fact he went back to work just three days later, and said he would've gone sooner had his wife let him. The worst consequences is people condemning for going out on the undefined trail in the first place. But Morris says he's an avid adventurer and nothing of this kind has ever happened before. He doubts it will happen again. 'I've done a lot of adventurous stuff in my life,' he told Daily Mail. 'I'm not the one taking care of myself. God takes care of me.' The movie-worthy incident hasn't deterred Morris from hiking, either. He and his wife went out again the following weekend. He credits his rescue to the volunteers who made the trek to the remote trail to help him. 'I would like them to be better appreciated. And for people to volunteer in their community,' he told Daily Mail.
CNN
31-05-2025
- General
- CNN
A 700-pound boulder pinned Alaska man face down in a glacier creek for 3 hours
Anchorage, Alaska AP — An Alaska man who was pinned face down in an icy creek by a 700-pound boulder for three hours survived the ordeal with only minor injuries, thanks in part to his wife's quick thinking and lots of luck. Kell Morris' wife held his head above water to prevent him from drowning while waiting for rescuers to arrive after Morris was pinned by the boulder, which crashed onto him during a hike near a remote glacier south of Anchorage. His second stroke of luck came when a sled dog tourism company that operates on the glacier overheard the 911 dispatch and offered up its helicopter to ferry rescuers to the scene, which was inaccessible to all-terrain vehicles. Once rescuers arrived, it took seven men and inflatable air bags to lift the boulder off as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Morris, 61, said he realizes he is probably the luckiest man alive. 'And luckier that I have such a great wife,' he said Thursday. His wife, Jo Roop, is a retired Alaska State Trooper. They moved to Seward, about 120 miles south of Anchorage, from Idaho last fall when she took a job with the local police department. Last Saturday, they wanted to avoid the big crowds that converge on the Kenai Peninsula community during holidays and decided to hike near Godwin Glacier on an isolated and undeveloped trail behind a state prison, Seward Fire Chief Clinton Crites said. Their trail was actually a rocky creek bed lined with large boulders deposited by the glacier. Morris said he noticed dangerous boulders, some weighing up to 1,000 pounds along the banks of the creek and avoided them the best he could, until he ran into an area he couldn't pass. 'I was coming back and everything, the whole side, slid out from under me,' he said. He said things became a blur as he tumbled down the embankment about 20 feet (6 meters), landing face down in the water. Then he immediately felt the boulder hit his back in what Crites described as 'basically an avalanche of boulders.' The way Morris landed, there were rocks under him, in between his legs and around him that caught the weight of the boulder, preventing him from being crushed, Crites said. But the massive rock still had him pinned, and Morris felt intense pain in his left leg and waited for his femur to snap. 'When it first happened, I was doubtful that there was going to be a good outcome,' Morris said. His wife tried to free him for about 30 minutes, putting rocks under the boulder and trying to roll it off him, before she left to find a cell signal. Amazingly, she only had to walk about 300 yards to connect with 911 and relied on her law enforcement experience to send exact GPS coordinates to dispatch. A volunteer at the neighboring Bear Creek Fire Department heard the call while working at the sled dog tourism operation and diverted the helicopter used to ferry tourists to the scene. Ultimately, firefighters who couldn't navigate their all-terrain vehicles over the boulder field jumped out of the helicopter. By this time, Morris was hypothermic from the cold water running off the glacier, Crites said, and his wife was holding his head out of the water. 'I think if we hadn't had that private helicopter assist us, it would have taken us at least another 45 minutes to get to him, and I'm not sure he had that much time,' Crites said. The firefighters used two air bags normally reserved to extract people from wrecked vehicles to slightly lift the boulder. 'But then it just became an all-hands brute force of 'one, two, three, push,'' Crites said. 'And seven guys were able to lift it enough to pull the victim out.' An Alaska National Guard helicopter lifted them out of the creek bed with a rescue basket. Morris spent two nights at the local hospital for observation but walked away unscathed. 'I fully anticipated a body recovery, not him walking away without a scratch on him,' Crites said. Morris, who is now reflecting on his ordeal at home, acknowledged it might have been a little wake-up call to stop doing things like this at his age. 'I was very lucky. God was looking out for me,' he said. When he and his wife go hiking this weekend, they are going to stick to established trails. 'We're going to stop the trailblazing,' he said.
CBC
31-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Alaska man survives being pinned face-down in a glacier creek by a massive boulder for 3 hours
An Alaska man who was pinned face-down in an icy creek by a 318-kilogram boulder for three hours survived the ordeal with no major injuries, thanks in part to his wife's quick thinking and lots of luck. Kell Morris' wife held his head above water to prevent him from drowning while waiting for rescuers to arrive after Morris was pinned by the boulder, which crashed onto him during a hike near a remote glacier south of Anchorage. His second stroke of luck came when a sled dog tourism company that operates on the glacier overheard the 911 dispatch and offered up its helicopter to ferry rescuers to the scene, which was inaccessible to all-terrain vehicles. Once rescuers arrived, it took seven men and inflatable air bags to lift the boulder off as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Morris, 61, said he realizes he is probably the luckiest man alive. "And luckier that I have such a great wife," he said Thursday. His wife, Jo Roop, is a retired Alaska State Trooper. They moved to Seward, about 193 kilometers south of Anchorage, from Idaho last fall when she took a job with the local police department. Last Saturday, they wanted to avoid the big crowds that converge on the Kenai Peninsula community during holidays and decided to hike near Godwin Glacier on an isolated and undeveloped trail behind a state prison, Seward Fire Chief Clinton Crites said. Their trail was actually a rocky creek bed lined with large boulders deposited by the glacier. Morris said he noticed dangerous boulders, some weighing up to 454 kilograms, along the banks of the creek and avoided them the best he could, until he ran into an area he couldn't pass. "I was coming back and everything, the whole side, slid out from under me," he said. He said things became a blur as he tumbled down the embankment about six metres, landing face-down in the water. Then he felt the boulder hit his back. Crites described it as "basically an avalanche of boulders." The way Morris landed, there were rocks under him, in between his legs and around him that caught the weight of the boulder, preventing him from being crushed, Crites said. But the massive rock still had him pinned, and Morris felt intense pain in his left leg and waited for his femur to snap. "When it first happened, I was doubtful that there was going to be a good outcome," Morris said. His wife tried to free him for about 30 minutes, putting rocks under the boulder and trying to roll it off him, before she left to find a cell signal. Amazingly, she only had to walk about 274 metres to connect with 911, and relied on her law enforcement experience to send exact GPS co-ordinates to dispatch. A volunteer at the neighbouring Bear Creek Fire Department heard the call while working at the sled dog tourism operation and diverted the helicopter used to ferry tourists to the scene. Ultimately, firefighters who couldn't navigate their all-terrain vehicles over the boulder field jumped out of the helicopter. By this time, Morris was hypothermic from the cold water running off the glacier, Crites said, and his wife was holding his head out of the water. "I think if we hadn't had that private helicopter assist us, it would have taken us at least another 45 minutes to get to him, and I'm not sure he had that much time," Crites said. The firefighters used two air bags normally reserved to extract people from wrecked vehicles to slightly lift the boulder. "But then it just became an all-hands brute force of 'one, two, three, push,'" Crites said. "And seven guys were able to lift it enough to pull the victim out." An Alaska National Guard helicopter lifted them out of the creek bed with a rescue basket. Morris spent two nights at the local hospital for observation but walked away unscathed. "I fully anticipated a body recovery, not him walking away without a scratch on him," Crites said. Morris, who is now reflecting on his ordeal at home, acknowledged it might have been a wake-up call to stop doing things like this at his age. "I was very lucky. God was looking out for me," he said. When he and his wife go hiking this weekend, they are going to stick to established trails. "We're going to stop the trailblazing," he said.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Alaskan man cheats death after pinned by 700-pound boulder in icy creek
SEWARD, Alaska – What began as a tranquil Alaskan hike rapidly escalated into a desperate fight for survival for one couple. Last Saturday, 61-year-old Kell Morris and his wife sought to avoid holiday crowds by venturing onto a quiet, untracked path near Seward, firefighters said. Their peaceful outing, however, was shattered when a massive boulder dislodged from the canyon wall, striking Morris and pinning him in the frigid Fourth of July Creek. What unfolded next was a complex, multi-agency rescue effort. The Seward Fire Department, alongside various other agencies, immediately responded, locating Morris about 2 miles upstream from their command post. Due to the extreme terrain, crews advanced slowly on foot and using ATVs. Alaska Slammed By Atmospheric River As Summer Cruise Season Revs Up A critical turning point in the rescue came when a neighboring firefighter, employed by a helicopter tour group, overheard the emergency call. He and a pilot swiftly volunteered their helicopter, airlifting six firefighters directly to Morris's location and cutting 45 minutes off the crucial travel time, according to the Seward Fire Department. "The patient was in a boulder field and the helicopter could only hover while firefighters had to jump from the helicopter to the ground as the helicopter could not land safely," the Seward Fire Department said. Rescuers found Morris lying face down in the creek with a 700-pound boulder pinning him while his wife held his head above the water. "The patient was hypothermic and in and out of consciousness," firefighters said. "Crews used air bags, ropes and brute force to lift the boulder off the patient and pull him to safety." Rare Tornado Spotted In Alaska's Chugach State Park May Only Be State's 5Th On Record Once out of the icy water, rescuers worked quickly to warm him. As his body temperature rose, Morris became more alert and his vital signs stabilized, firefighters said. However, it quickly became apparent that traditional methods of transporting him down the treacherous canyon were neither safe nor feasible. In a final critical move, pararescue jumpers with the 176th Wing Air National Guard were called in and successfully hoisted Morris out of the canyon and transferred him to an awaiting ambulance. Morris was then rushed to a local hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery. "It is no doubt that without the help from Seward Helicopter tours this incident could have had a much different and potentially fatal outcome," firefighters emphasized. "It is community members and businesses that we work so well with that make our jobs easier and more productive."Original article source: Alaskan man cheats death after pinned by 700-pound boulder in icy creek
BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Alaska hiker rescued from under 700lb boulder in frigid creek
A hiker in Alaska miraculously survived after he was trapped facedown in a frigid creek for three hours under a massive boulder. Kell Morris was hiking with his wife below a glacier outside the city of Anchorage when a rock slide sent him plunging into the creek. A 700lb (318kg) stone came to rest on top of his leg, pinning him in wife positioned his head out of the water and called for help from rescuers, giving them the exact coordinates of their location. After a few days in hospital, he walked away nearly completely unscathed. The accident occurred on Saturday near Godwin Glacier. Mr Morris says that the rock that pinned him in place landed in a "trough" of other rocks, protecting him from being crushed but preventing him from being able to move. A rescue crew arrived by helicopter and had to use tools to lift the were also working against the clock: the glacier-fed creek was rising as the heat of the day caused ice and snow melt to occur more quickly. "I thought, I'm not going to last long in this water," Mr Morris recalled in an interview on Wednesday with the Anchorage Daily News."The water had gotten up to my chin," Mr Morris said. "I was going in and out of consciousness. I'd been shivering, but I stopped shivering every once in a while."His wife Jo Roop, who works as a police officer for the city of Seward, made sure he was able to hold himself out of the water in a press up position so she could hike to find enough mobile phone service to call for help. She still retained her sense of humour during the ordeal, he told Alaska Public Media (APM), recalling: "She graciously tells me, 'don't go anywhere. I'll be right back.'"Ms Roop was able to provide exact GPS coordinates for their location, according to rescue officials. In a stroke of luck, a volunteer firefighter overheard the radio call for rescue while working for a sled dog tour company. He was able to divert a helicopter used for shuttling tourists to pick up rescuers and take them to the accident site. But the helicopter was not able to land, due to the rough terrain."The patient was in a boulder field and the helicopter could only hover while firefighters had to jump from the helicopter to the ground as the helicopter could not land safely," the Seward Fire Department said in a statement posted to used inflatable airbags to lift the rock, and a National Guard helicopter brought Mr Morris to hospital where he was treated for recovered, Mr Morris says he suffered little more than bruises, and is already back on his feet. "I'm walking and, you know, if there was a band nearby, I'd go dancing tonight," he told APM.
