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Unexpected adventure leads to a life-threatening situation
Last Saturday, Kell Morris and his wife Jo Roop embarked on a hiking trip in a remote glacier area south of Anchorage, Alaska. Seeking to escape the bustling crowds of tourists flocking to the Kenai Peninsula during the holiday season, the couple chose an isolated trail behind a state prison.
Little did they know that their adventure would soon turn into a harrowing ordeal.
As they navigated the rugged terrain, Morris attempted to avoid the massive boulders scattered along the creek bank. However, fate had other plans. Suddenly, a 700-pound boulder came crashing down, pinning him face down into the icy waters of the creek.
The impact was devastating, sending him tumbling down a 20-foot embankment and into a precarious situation.
Struggling against the odds
Trapped and in excruciating pain, Morris found himself surrounded by rocks that fortuitously supported the weight of the boulder, preventing him from being crushed.
Despite the intense agony in his left leg and the fear of a potential femur fracture, he clung to hope. “When it first happened, I was doubtful that there was going to be a good outcome,” he recounted. His wife, Jo, a former state trooper, immediately sprang into action, attempting to free him from the boulder’s grip.
Realizing her efforts were futile, Jo made the difficult decision to leave her husband and search for a cell signal to call for help. After walking just 300 yards, she was able to connect with emergency services, leveraging her experience to provide GPS coordinates for the rescue team.
Heroic rescue efforts
Thanks to Jo’s quick thinking, a volunteer from the Bear Creek Fire Department, who was working at Seward Helicopter Tours, heard the call and flew a helicopter to the scene. Firefighters faced challenges accessing the area with their all-terrain vehicles, so they resorted to jumping out of the helicopter to reach Morris.
By the time they arrived, he was suffering from hypothermia, with Jo holding his head above the freezing water to keep him breathing.
“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,” said Fire Chief Clinton Crites. The rescue team utilized airbags to lift the boulder slightly before employing sheer brute force to free Morris. With the combined strength of seven firefighters, they managed to lift the boulder enough to pull him out safely.
After being placed in a basket, Morris was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he spent two nights recovering from minor injuries. Reflecting on the ordeal, Crites expressed disbelief at the outcome: “I fully anticipated a body recovery, not him walking away without a scratch on him.” This incredible story of survival underscores the importance of quick thinking, teamwork, and a bit of luck in the face of adversity.
