Ryan Osmun, 34, and his girlfriend, Jessika McNeill, were hiking to the Subway, a slot canyon in Zion National Park, and had almost reached their destination when McNeill stumbled in mud and fell into a frigid creek. Osmun rushed to assist her.
Girl in distress, guy rushes to help. Classic, but give the guy credit since he did save her, at nearly the cost of his own hide.
"As I was helping her I didn't realize my right leg was sinking all the way into the sand, so it got about to my waist on my right leg and my left leg started sinking also," Osmun told Fox 13. "It felt like you were just sinking into, like, wet concrete. It felt like it had dried instantly; I couldn't move my leg at all."
McNeill, soaking wet, tried to free his leg but every time she would clear away the sand, more would take its place. Osmun said he began to panic when he realized he was trapped.
Trapped and soaking wet, in winter, hours away from help. Great.
Leaving Osman with gear to stay warm, McNeill took off to find help. She hiked more than four hours before she could get a cell phone signal and call 911. When park officials found her, she was suffering from hypothermia and required medical attention.
Osman remained anchored in place in the creek bed, in "pouring snow." It was getting dark.
I gotta be honest. If that were me, I'd have probably already been dead.
About eight hours after McNeill left, Osmun said he collapsed from exhaustion and fell into the shallow water. He awoke to see a ranger's light.
Eight hours, stuck in the freezing soup, snowing, and by yourself. Maybe the girlfriend didn't make it? Maybe a mountain lion got her? Maybe she met a hunky ranger dude on the way out, and decided to trade up? Anything could have happened.
An hour later three more rangers arrived, and they were able free Osmun. All told, he had been trapped in the creek muck for about 10 hours.
But the rescuers still had to get Osmun to a hospital, and the weather wasn't cooperating. The snowstorm forced them to hunker down for the night and morning.
Of course, after all that, he had to overnight. I hope that they at least built a roaring fire and kept the poor guy warm.
A break in the weather Sunday afternoon permitted a helicopter to airlift the hiker to the same hospital where his girlfriend was being treated.
Maybe the two of them should take up golf.
Start carrying some 550 (or better) cord when hiking?
ReplyDeleteI man, I've been is quicksand. It ain't no joke, but having something to pull against would likely have been enough to let him get himself free.
Then again, I wasn't there.
All in all it could have turned out worse, they are both still alive.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in high school, I spent one summer riding the Green River, pulling cattle out of the quicksand. The quarter horse that they gave me knew the business and it also came with a dog. I supplied my own tack and gear. There was a sheep camp (trailer) that served as HQ. If you know what you're doing, it's not quite that bad. If you don't - it can go very bad for you.
ReplyDeletesounds to me like a good story to tell the grandkids
ReplyDelete