In Alaska, United States, a man got trapped under a massive rock weighing several hundred kilograms while hiking, enduring three hours of entrapment. Fortunately, with his wife’s calm response and helicopter support, he was successfully rescued with only minor injuries. He considers himself extremely lucky to have survived and believes it was by the grace of God.
According to a report by the Associated Press on May 30th, the 61-year-old man named Kell Morris and his wife Jo Roop were hiking near the Godwin Glacier on the Kenai Peninsula on May 24th. The glacier is located south of Anchorage and is in a remote geographical area.
As the couple made their way along a rocky riverbed filled with boulders deposited by the glacier, Morris noticed some dangerous rocks along the creek bank, some weighing up to 1,000 pounds. Despite his efforts to avoid them, a 700-pound boulder suddenly rolled down the slope, pushing him into the creek about 6 meters deep. He was pinned down by the rock and unable to move.
Roop, a former state trooper, spent about 30 minutes attempting to move the boulder to rescue Morris but was unsuccessful. She then walked about 300 yards to find a signal on her phone.
Surprisingly, she managed to dial 911 for help after walking only about 300 yards and provided GPS coordinates based on her previous work experience.
Coincidentally, a volunteer from a nearby sightseeing helicopter company heard the distress call over the radio and immediately flew a helicopter to the scene to assist the rescue team with an aerial drop as their all-terrain vehicle couldn’t reach the location.
Rescuers used airbags to slightly lift the boulder and then collectively pushed it away to successfully free Morris. By this time, Morris had been in the cold glacier runoff water for an extended period, lowering his body temperature. His wife kept his head above water to ensure he could breathe properly.
Morris was then transported to the hospital. Luckily, he only suffered minor injuries and was discharged after being observed for two days.
Recalling the incident, Morris mentioned that his left leg was pinned by the boulder upon the fall, causing severe pain, with the possibility of his femur breaking at any moment. He was uncertain if he would hold on until the rescue team arrived.
Reflecting on his survival, Morris said, “I am very lucky. God was watching over me.”
He believes that this incident might serve as a small warning for him not to engage in such activities at his age.
Now, when he and his wife go hiking, they will stick to established paths and no longer deliberately avoid crowds to explore remote and undeveloped trails.