Latest news with #boulder
CNN
2 days ago
- 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.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Alaska man survives after being trapped face-down in creek by 700lb boulder
An Alaska man who was pinned facedown in an icy creek by a 700lb (318kg) 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 (193km) 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, said Clinton Crites, the Seward fire chief. 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 1,000lbs (454kg), 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 20ft (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 (274 meters) 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.
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
I was minutes from death pinned down by 700lb boulder after horror hike rockfall – but luck and a great wife saved me
A HIKER miraculously survived being pinned face down by a 700 pound boulder for three hours during a horror trek in Alaska. Kell Morris pulled through the terrifying ordeal thanks to his wife's quick thinking, escaping with just minor injuries. 4 4 4 He became trapped during a hike with his wife Jo Roop near Godwin Glacier, south of Anchorage. The couple wanted to avoid the big crowds, so they set out on an isolated trail behind a state prison. Morris noticed dangerous boulders along the route, some weighing up to 1,000 pounds, and tried to avoid them as best as he could. But then suddenly a 700-pound boulder slammed him 20 feet down into an icy cold creek, trapping him in the water. "I was coming back and everything, the whole side slid out from under me," the 61-year-old said. Luckily, the way the rocks around him landed supported the full weight of the boulder, preventing it from completely crushing him. But he still felt and intense pain in his left leg as he lay trapped in position. Morris told the Associated Press: "When it first happened, I was doubtful that there was going to be a good outcome." His wife, a police officer and former state trooper, quickly came to the rescue. She attempted for about 30 minutes to pry him out from underneath the massive rock, but then went to try and find phone signal. Shock vid shows hero cops pull driver from car just SECONDS before its obliterated by speeding train on level crossing Mercifully, she only had to go around 300 yards to connect to 911, and her law enforcement experience helped her direct rescuers to the exact co-ordinates. A volunteer at the Bear Creek Fire Department heard the call and managed to fly a helicopter to the scene. Firefighters would use the helicopter to access the scene as their all-terrain vehicles could not reach the spot. By the time they got there, Morris was hypothermic, but was aided by his wife holding his head above 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," Seward Fire Chief Clinton Crites said. Emergency responders used airbags designed to help people get out of wrecked vehicles to slightly lift the boulder. "But then it just became an all-hands brute force of 'one, two, three, push," Crites added. "And seven guys were able to lift it enough to pull the victim out." An Alaska National Guard helicopter got them out of the creek with a rescue basket. Morris spent two nights in hospital for observation, but only endured minor injuries. He has since described himself as the luckiest man alive. "And luckier that I have such a great wife." "I was very lucky. God was looking out for me," he added.
CNN
3 days ago
- General
- CNN
A 700-pound boulder pinned Alaska man face-down in a glacier creek for 3 hours
FacebookTweetLink Follow 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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
61-year-old man survives being pinned down by 700-pound boulder for 3 hours in Alaska creek
A 61-year-old Alaska man is expected to make a full recovery after he ended up being pinned down by a 700-pound boulder while lying on his stomach in an Alaska creek, authorities said. The incident occurred last Saturday just before noon when the Seward Fire Department was contacted for a rescue in the Fourth of July Creek to reports of a '61-year-old male pinned by a boulder in the creek,' according to a statement from the Seward Fire Department. MORE: 6 gray whales have died in San Francisco in the past week as authorities scramble for answers 'The patient was found lying in the creek on his stomach with an approximately 700 lb. boulder on top of him with his spouse holding his head out of water,' authorities said. 'The patient was hypothermic and in and out of consciousness.' Officials did not say how the boulder came to be on top of him or why it ended up pinning him down in the creek in the first place. MORE: Tourists at beach house find human remains dating back 200 years Seward Fire and Seward Volunteer Ambulance Corp responded and requested assistance from Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department, according to the Seward Fire Department, and responded to the scene on foot, by ATV and helicopter. 'One of Bear Creek FD Volunteer's works for Seward Helicopter Tours and heard the call while working and he and a pilot volunteered to respond to the scene and pick up six firefighters via helicopter and transport them to the patient, thus cutting down 45 minutes of travel time,' officials said. '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.' MORE: Black bear found sitting on stove inside home after crashing through ceiling Crews used air bags, ropes and 'brute force' to lift the boulder off the patient and pull him to safety, authorities said. 'Once out of the water, the crew re-warmed the patient, and he became more alert, and his vitals improved,' Seward Fire Department said. Officials determined there was not an effective or safe manner to bring the patient down the canyon, so they contacted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center for assistance and they were able to hoist the man out of the canyon and take him to the ambulance that was waiting nearby. MORE: 3 climbers dead after falling off mountain while rappelling The 61-year-old man was subsequently taken to Seward Providence Hospital and authorities said he is expected to make a full recovery with no life-threatening injuries noted. 'It is no doubt that without the help from Seward Helicopter Tours this incident could have had a much different and potentially fatal outcome,' said the Seward Fire Department. 'It is community members and businesses that we work so well with that make our jobs easier and more productive.' 61-year-old man survives being pinned down by 700-pound boulder for 3 hours in Alaska creek originally appeared on
