There is nothing I can say, just read it:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/05/02/climber.amputation.ap/index.html

Matt

I guess Greg beats me to it. That's what I get for not refreshing my screen.

Matt

I'll bet that boulder weighed a lot more than two hundred pounds. Really an incredible event.

Yeah, I think even the wimpiest among us could have summoned the strength to move 200 pounds in that situation. Either way, the guy's obviously a survivor and deserves a hand (bad pun intended).

Ed

"Using his pocketknife, he amputated his arm below the elbow and applied a tourniquet and administered first aid. "

So I'm a little curious as to what kind of pocketknife he used for the amputation. This is an extreme example, but it does show how important the basic survival tools are.

I think it would be almost impossible to saw through bone (especially your own) with a SAK, even the big one with the rip saw. But it did say "below the elbow" so - if I had to guess - I'd suggest maybe the bone was already broken clean through and all he had to do was cut through the soft tissues.

I also suspect he may have applied the tourniquet *before* starting the amputation, not afterwards as the article stated. Otherwise, he would probably have died from loss of blood while trying to perform the amputation.

He seems to have made some poor decisions prior to the accident - why did his employer and co-workers wait four days to report him missing, for example? If you're hiking alone, this is an excellent example of why you should leave a "flight plan" with someone who's reliable enough to realise "empty desk = maybe we should call him and see if he's okay". But tbh, if one of my co-workers didn't show up on Monday, I might equally well assume he/she had phoned in sick or decided to take a couple of days off.

"He seems to have made some poor decisions prior to the accident - why did his employer and co-workers wait four days to report him missing, for example? "

This delay also bothered me, reading this story. Especially, as the SAR find him the same day they were alerted.
Leaving a "flight plan" may have save his arm (may be not ...).


Alain

Yes, here's a story that says it was an 800 pound boulder. That makes a little more sense.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/2174116/detail.html

And I just read a story on Netscape news that said it was a 1,000 pounder. Do I have 1,500 pounds, 1,500 pounds anyone, now 2,000, 2,000 pounds, going for 3,000 pounds, come on ladies and gentlemen, a mere 3,000 pounds ...

3,000!!! (or, 1.5 Rosannes) And not a pound more. <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />