Mountaineer Cuts Off Trapped Arm With Penknife

Independent (UK) ^ | 5-3-2003 | Andrew Gumbel

[blam]

Mountaineer cuts off trapped arm with penknife

By Andrew Gumbel
03 May 2003

A mountaineer whose right arm became trapped under a heavy boulder in a remote stretch of the eastern Utah desert took the drastic step of hacking off his own arm with a pocket knife before abseiling down a sheer rock wall and looking for help.

The extraordinary story of Aron Ralston, a fitness fanatic and highly experienced mountaineer, hit the headlines yesterday as police officials from Green River, Utah, gave accounts of his bravery to American television. "He's pretty darn tough. He wanted to live. He saved himself," sheriff's deputy Mitch Vetere told reporters.

Mr Ralston, who is 27, was climbing alone in the Canyonlands National Park last Saturday when the boulder dislodged and landed on him. For several days he held out the hope that someone would stumble across his path or spot him from the air. By Tuesday, he had run out of water. By Thursday, he realised he would not survive unless he took drastic action.

Using his penknife, he cut off his right arm just below the elbow – an excruciating process that took several hours. He then applied a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding, rappelled 60 feet down a rock wall to the canyon floor and kept walking until he came across two other mountaineers. They managed to flag down a rescue helicopter, which took him to hospital.

By yesterday, he had been moved from Utah to a hospital in Colorado, where his condition was described as serious.

[blam]

I have a friend who lost a foot in similar circumstances.

[RaceBannon]

I hope that man gets a HUGE movie contract!!

That and a free prosthesis!

That guy was one tough cookie, he could probably beat you up AFTER he cut his arm off, he rappells with one arm cut off???

[RightOnline]

"I hope that man gets a HUGE movie contract!!"

Yeah, but it's going to cost some studio an arm and a le..............ummmmm............

[Charles Henrickson]

You've got to hand it to him.

[Oschisms]

From Army of Darkness:

"It [the evil] got into my hand...so I lopped it off at the wrist."

Ash

[Batrachian]

"A mountaineer whose right arm became trapped under a heavy boulder in a remote stretch of the eastern Utah desert took the drastic step of hacking off his own arm with a pocket knife..."

It reminds me of this quote from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:

"The second worst is that of the Azagoths of Kria. During a recitation by their Poet Master Grunthos the Flatulent of his poem "Ode To A Small Lump of Green Putty I Found In My Armpit One Midsummer Morning" four of his audience died of internal haemorrhaging, and the President of the Mid-Galactic Arts Nobbling Council survived by gnawing one of his own legs off."

[Ronin]

One bag, two bag, three bag, coyote....

[shotgun]

Already posted over here..

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/904684/posts

[ffusco]

......Gasp!

[Some hope remaining.]

This version has new details -- he used a penknife and it took several hours.

[shotgun]

Careful, I pissed in the pool of two guys in the other post just because I wondered out loud how much taxpayers dollars were wasted on this guy saving his butt.

[mountaineer]

It wasn't me, by the way. Some other mountaineer.

[Yeti]

I didn't lose any appendages, but when I was 15(25 years ago) I fell about 80-90 ft off of a canyon wall into the Green River.

That canoe trip was was great. 10 days. We put in at Green River, Utah, and got picked up by rafts at the Confluence. Anasazi Indian ruins, cool canyonlands. I loved that place. One of these days I will definitely do it again, if I get a chance.

[templar]

This version has new details -- he used a penknife and it took several hours.

Make a note: Add a small saw to the rock climbing gear.

[Porterville]

I've had coyote arm several times in my life...one time the girl was as heavy as a boulder. I feel for this guy, but he needs to stop getting in these situations by going out on Saturday nights. :)

[bannie]

Porterville...a town in the San Joaquin Valley?

[bannie]

I love a man with survival skills. Seriously!

[Skooz]

And the winner of this year's John Wayne Toughest Dude on the Planet Award is.................

[cajungirl]

Damn! That is a heartbreaker but the guy must be tough as nails and desperate to do it,,I cannot begin to imagine doing that.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Rule #1 taught years ago! NEVER GO ALONE!

Yet I still do go alone often.