The lengths people go to...
Oz
05-02-2003, 02:34 AM
Trapped climber amputates arm to free himself
May 2 2003
Moab, Utah: A climber amputated his own arm five days after becoming pinned by a boulder, and began hiking to safety before being spotted by searchers, authorities said.
Aron Ralston, 27, was in a serious condition at a hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Ralston was climbing last Saturday in Blue John Canyon, adjacent to Canyonlands National Park in far southwestern Utah, when a 90-kilogram boulder fell on him, pinning his right arm, authorities said.
He ran out of water on Tuesday and yesterday morning, he decided that his survival required drastic action.
Using his pocketknife, he amputated his arm below the elbow, applied a tourniquet and administered first aid.
He then rigged anchors, fixed a rope and rappelled to the canyon floor.
He hiked downstream and was spotted about 3 pm by a Utah Public Safety Helicopter. The search for Ralston had begun the same morning, after authorities were notified he was four days overdue reporting for work.
Authorities described Ralston as an avid outdoorsman in exceptional physical condition. They said he was known to have climbed 49 of Colorado's major peaks.
May 2 2003
Moab, Utah: A climber amputated his own arm five days after becoming pinned by a boulder, and began hiking to safety before being spotted by searchers, authorities said.
Aron Ralston, 27, was in a serious condition at a hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Ralston was climbing last Saturday in Blue John Canyon, adjacent to Canyonlands National Park in far southwestern Utah, when a 90-kilogram boulder fell on him, pinning his right arm, authorities said.
He ran out of water on Tuesday and yesterday morning, he decided that his survival required drastic action.
Using his pocketknife, he amputated his arm below the elbow, applied a tourniquet and administered first aid.
He then rigged anchors, fixed a rope and rappelled to the canyon floor.
He hiked downstream and was spotted about 3 pm by a Utah Public Safety Helicopter. The search for Ralston had begun the same morning, after authorities were notified he was four days overdue reporting for work.
Authorities described Ralston as an avid outdoorsman in exceptional physical condition. They said he was known to have climbed 49 of Colorado's major peaks.
primera man
05-02-2003, 05:16 AM
:bloated: I dont even want to think about him having to do it :bloated:
YogsVR4
05-02-2003, 09:23 AM
Can you imagine having to come to a decision to do that to yourself. Amazing.
freakray
05-02-2003, 09:44 AM
Man, that guy has some serious courage to do that.......I hope he will be alright.
SiRI
05-02-2003, 10:21 AM
wow, severed his own arm with a pocket knife, what a decision.. hope he turns out fine..
Amish_kid
05-02-2003, 10:41 AM
90 kg's is roughly what 195 lbs
shouldn't he have been able to squeeze his arm out if it was only 195 lbs?
geez I mean with one arm and 2 feet he could have figured out something to save his arm
shouldn't he have been able to squeeze his arm out if it was only 195 lbs?
geez I mean with one arm and 2 feet he could have figured out something to save his arm
freakray
05-02-2003, 10:57 AM
Originally posted by Amish_kid
90 kg's is roughly what 195 lbs
shouldn't he have been able to squeeze his arm out if it was only 195 lbs?
geez I mean with one arm and 2 feet he could have figured out something to save his arm
That is totally dependant on the position he was trapped in (with your arm pinned under something, could you use your feet to push it off?).
Also don't forget the rock could have been wedged in a hollow or in any number of other ways that was just not moveable.
90 kg's is roughly what 195 lbs
shouldn't he have been able to squeeze his arm out if it was only 195 lbs?
geez I mean with one arm and 2 feet he could have figured out something to save his arm
That is totally dependant on the position he was trapped in (with your arm pinned under something, could you use your feet to push it off?).
Also don't forget the rock could have been wedged in a hollow or in any number of other ways that was just not moveable.
SilverLotus340R
05-02-2003, 02:36 PM
with a pocket knife??? WTF!?
that musta hurt like a bitch...
and how do u get through bone with a pocket knife??
that musta hurt like a bitch...
and how do u get through bone with a pocket knife??
Amish_kid
05-02-2003, 02:45 PM
Originally posted by freakray
That is totally dependant on the position he was trapped in (with your arm pinned under something, could you use your feet to push it off?).
Also don't forget the rock could have been wedged in a hollow or in any number of other ways that was just not moveable.
I suppose but yeah it wouldn't be too hard to try to use your legs all you have to do is just get your legs up against the rock and us your legs to move the rock and your other arm to pull on the arm and it might work all I know is that I think I would give this a good long try before hacking off my arm. Tough son of a bitch though I don't think i'd be able to cut off my own arm
That is totally dependant on the position he was trapped in (with your arm pinned under something, could you use your feet to push it off?).
Also don't forget the rock could have been wedged in a hollow or in any number of other ways that was just not moveable.
I suppose but yeah it wouldn't be too hard to try to use your legs all you have to do is just get your legs up against the rock and us your legs to move the rock and your other arm to pull on the arm and it might work all I know is that I think I would give this a good long try before hacking off my arm. Tough son of a bitch though I don't think i'd be able to cut off my own arm
turbo2nr
05-02-2003, 03:33 PM
makes my face look like:bloated: thinkin about it..
amazing will power..
1
amazing will power..
1
90EX
05-02-2003, 04:37 PM
An article from a different source estimated the boulder weighed 800 pounds.
grimmy
05-02-2003, 07:15 PM
well at least he had a pocket knife. think what it would have been like if he only had some nail clippers, or like a spork from his breakfast at mcdonalds.
YellowMaranello
05-02-2003, 08:28 PM
I'd love to shake this guy's hand, oh, wait....
Toksin
05-02-2003, 09:11 PM
Balls the size of frickin coconuts.
v10_viper
05-04-2003, 09:19 PM
Holy shit, I'm watching it on tv right now, haha, lucky guy, they said he's getting a prosthetic(sp) arm too and he'll be ok. wow......
sidewinder69
05-04-2003, 09:27 PM
Do you think that he'll try to work out more so that he could push a gangsta large boulder off of himself???? (If he had to that is.)
Hell, after that I'd carry a pry bar with me......through the bone AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
:bloated: :bloated: BLAH!
Later!
Hell, after that I'd carry a pry bar with me......through the bone AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
:bloated: :bloated: BLAH!
Later!
YellowMaranello
05-04-2003, 09:29 PM
Originally posted by v10_viper
Holy shit, I'm watching it on tv right now, haha, lucky guy, they said he's getting a prosthetic(sp) arm too and he'll be ok. wow......
I bet he keeps climbing with a prosthetic arm like it's nothing.
Holy shit, I'm watching it on tv right now, haha, lucky guy, they said he's getting a prosthetic(sp) arm too and he'll be ok. wow......
I bet he keeps climbing with a prosthetic arm like it's nothing.
Sean
05-04-2003, 10:48 PM
i read about that in the newspaper this morning. What i want to know is how he managed to get through the bone with a pocket knife, and not pass out. must have been like, a pocket saw or something
drklver
05-07-2003, 02:45 PM
through the bone with a pocket knife i think he will be alright, but
geez heeeeeuge balls!!!:greenchai
geez heeeeeuge balls!!!:greenchai
MaximusGTR
05-07-2003, 03:26 PM
Originally posted by YellowMaranello
I'd love to shake this guy's hand, oh, wait....
Thats fugged up dude:silly2:
I'd love to shake this guy's hand, oh, wait....
Thats fugged up dude:silly2:
jinushaun
05-07-2003, 05:27 PM
Scheise! :eek:
stubacca
05-07-2003, 05:30 PM
Originally posted by SilverLotus340R
with a pocket knife??? WTF!?
that musta hurt like a bitch...
and how do u get through bone with a pocket knife??
From the newspaper reports over here, he only had to get through the flesh - the bone was so shattered he didn't need to worry about that!
The guy also sounds like a real risk-taker and absolute fruitloop! He's put himself in so many life-threatening situations over the last few years it was only a matter of time before something actually happened. Cost search and rescue over US$500K for the search effort to find the arm... I suppose you couldn't really leave it in the park for some kid to find, eh?
Still, that's some bloody big cajones... :coolguy:
with a pocket knife??? WTF!?
that musta hurt like a bitch...
and how do u get through bone with a pocket knife??
From the newspaper reports over here, he only had to get through the flesh - the bone was so shattered he didn't need to worry about that!
The guy also sounds like a real risk-taker and absolute fruitloop! He's put himself in so many life-threatening situations over the last few years it was only a matter of time before something actually happened. Cost search and rescue over US$500K for the search effort to find the arm... I suppose you couldn't really leave it in the park for some kid to find, eh?
Still, that's some bloody big cajones... :coolguy:
Automotive Network, Inc., Copyright ©2026