Climber amputates arm to free self

[Terminal23]

http://msnbc.com/news/908232.asp
He's got some major balls.

[JacobM5727]

wow.. i want a pocket knife like his.. talk about heavy duty

[skuz]

100% true grit American.


I couldn't imagine needing to do that. With a pocket knife.

[OuTpaTienT]

I'm guessing that the bones in his arm were broken. I just can't imagine it possible someone being able to hack through their forearm bones (Ulna and Radius) with a pocket knife.

[caddmannq]

This is why you always take a buddy.

Though they probably would have had to take his arm off anyway (a 1000 lb rock is no joke) he suffered there for five days.

He could have been rescued the first day.

[Tarp2]

I think, what is going to haunt him the rest of his life is that last step. That pinned him. It was a bravely desperate thing that he did to free himself.

I have hiked alone, and really enjoyed it. Another time, a friend saved me from going over the top of a windy hill that may have been bad, maybe not. You take your chances.

Tarp

[cracked]

like out said, the bones were probably broken and after five days it was probably a lost cause anyway and it was probably hurting pretty bad already. but it still requires a heck of a lot more guts than i have to do such a thing. to be honest i would probably just hung there and died.

drew

[Knothead]

After said Ralston has climbed 49 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot-plus mountains.

“To be honest, sometimes we get pretty scared with some of the things he’s doing,” After said.

With good reason.

What an amazing story!

[alivin]

After all that he walked in to the ER unaided, AMAZING.
I bet He's climbing again within 1 year.
caddmannq is right, ALLWAYS take a safety person with you climbing.