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American Morning
Survival Story of Hiker Forced to Amputate Arm
Aired May 05, 2003 - 07:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest on the amazing story of a rock climber who was forced to amputate his arm in order to save his own life.
Twenty-seven-year-old Aaron Ralston was hiking in a Utah canyon last week, when he fell and was pinned under an 800-pound boulder. Unable to free himself for five days, Ralston cut off his arm with a pocket knife. Rescuers say he wouldn't have survived without taking those dramatic steps. This morning, Ralston is said to be on the road to recovery.
In Moab, Utah now, two people involved in the rescue operation, helicopter pilot Terry Mercer and Steve Swanky (ph), supervising park ranger at Canyonlands National Park where this story played out. And what an unbelievable story one it is.
Thanks to both of you for being here.
Terry, let me start with you. I know that you were involved in the rescue of Aaron. Tell us what happened up there.
TERRY MERCER, RESCUE PILOT: After searching for a couple of hours, we saw two hikers down in the bottomland, waving to us with a third individual who appeared to be covered in the red sand. And we landed down there. I radioed back that he was walking strong and he was looking good, but he did have his arm in a sling. But then the deputy walked out and talked to him, gave me a thumbs up that this was the person we were looking for.
But as he walked towards the helicopter, I called and I said, 'Now wait a minute.' I said, 'There's a lot of blood here.' He was absolutely coated in blood. His shoes were covered with blood. And as they loaded him in the helicopter, the deputy reached in said, "He's amputated his arm; we've got to go to the hospital quick."
COLLINS: Covered head to toe, we were reading, with blood. Unbelievable.
Now, I know that Aaron is an experienced mountaineer. He was actually doing some canyoneering, which I understand to be obviously when you're in a canyon, you're moving a little bit more horizontally than vertically when you're climbing mountains. But you saw this scene where this boulder fell on him. What sort of measures did he take because he was so experienced to free himself before you got to him?
MERCER: He had taken a webbing and looped it up around an upper rock and put a ring in it, and then looped a rope through the ring and under the rock that had pinned his hand, and had rigged up kind of a pulley system and was trying to raise the rock to get his hand out. And he had virtually done everything possible that he could do at the scene to free his hand.
COLLINS: So, he obviously still had his wits about him.
Now, Steve, let me ask you. I know the rigorous terrain of Blue John Canyon obviously presented some serious challenges. How likely would it have been for a search and rescue team to find him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would have been very unlikely for him to have been seen from the air, because the canyon was only three feet wide and 100 feet deep. So, we would have flown over him 10 times and not have been able to see him on 10 passes. It's possible that we would have found him with the ground searchers, but unlikely that that would have occurred on Thursday, because there wasn't enough daylight left in the day. But it's quite possible that we would have found him on Friday with ground searchers.
COLLINS: All right...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was...
COLLINS: I'm sorry, guys. We are running out of time. This is an unbelievable story, and certainly one that the both of you will be able to tell many, many people ahead, along with Aaron as well.
Terry Mercer and Steve Swanky (ph), thanks so much for telling us what happened.
MERCER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired May 5, 2003 - 07:57 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Now the latest on the amazing story of a rock climber who was forced to amputate his arm in order to save his own life.
Twenty-seven-year-old Aaron Ralston was hiking in a Utah canyon last week, when he fell and was pinned under an 800-pound boulder. Unable to free himself for five days, Ralston cut off his arm with a pocket knife. Rescuers say he wouldn't have survived without taking those dramatic steps. This morning, Ralston is said to be on the road to recovery.
In Moab, Utah now, two people involved in the rescue operation, helicopter pilot Terry Mercer and Steve Swanky (ph), supervising park ranger at Canyonlands National Park where this story played out. And what an unbelievable story one it is.
Thanks to both of you for being here.
Terry, let me start with you. I know that you were involved in the rescue of Aaron. Tell us what happened up there.
TERRY MERCER, RESCUE PILOT: After searching for a couple of hours, we saw two hikers down in the bottomland, waving to us with a third individual who appeared to be covered in the red sand. And we landed down there. I radioed back that he was walking strong and he was looking good, but he did have his arm in a sling. But then the deputy walked out and talked to him, gave me a thumbs up that this was the person we were looking for.
But as he walked towards the helicopter, I called and I said, 'Now wait a minute.' I said, 'There's a lot of blood here.' He was absolutely coated in blood. His shoes were covered with blood. And as they loaded him in the helicopter, the deputy reached in said, "He's amputated his arm; we've got to go to the hospital quick."
COLLINS: Covered head to toe, we were reading, with blood. Unbelievable.
Now, I know that Aaron is an experienced mountaineer. He was actually doing some canyoneering, which I understand to be obviously when you're in a canyon, you're moving a little bit more horizontally than vertically when you're climbing mountains. But you saw this scene where this boulder fell on him. What sort of measures did he take because he was so experienced to free himself before you got to him?
MERCER: He had taken a webbing and looped it up around an upper rock and put a ring in it, and then looped a rope through the ring and under the rock that had pinned his hand, and had rigged up kind of a pulley system and was trying to raise the rock to get his hand out. And he had virtually done everything possible that he could do at the scene to free his hand.
COLLINS: So, he obviously still had his wits about him.
Now, Steve, let me ask you. I know the rigorous terrain of Blue John Canyon obviously presented some serious challenges. How likely would it have been for a search and rescue team to find him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would have been very unlikely for him to have been seen from the air, because the canyon was only three feet wide and 100 feet deep. So, we would have flown over him 10 times and not have been able to see him on 10 passes. It's possible that we would have found him with the ground searchers, but unlikely that that would have occurred on Thursday, because there wasn't enough daylight left in the day. But it's quite possible that we would have found him on Friday with ground searchers.
COLLINS: All right...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was...
COLLINS: I'm sorry, guys. We are running out of time. This is an unbelievable story, and certainly one that the both of you will be able to tell many, many people ahead, along with Aaron as well.
Terry Mercer and Steve Swanky (ph), thanks so much for telling us what happened.
MERCER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
