could you?

[RICHARD]

Trapped rock climber amputates arm


By Associated Press


MOAB, Utah -- A Colorado climber amputated his own arm Thursday, five days after becoming pinned by a boulder, and he was hiking to safety when he was spotted by searchers, authorities said.

Aron Ralston, 27, of Aspen was in serious condition late Thursday at a hospital in Grand Junction, Colo.

Ralston was climbing Saturday in Blue John Canyon, adjacent to Canyonlands National Park in far southwestern Utah, when a 200-pound boulder fell on him, pinning his right arm, authorities said.

He ran out of water Tuesday and on Thursday morning he decided that his survival required drastic action.

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


He then rigged anchors, fixed a rope and rappelled to the canyon floor.

He hiked downstream and was spotted about 3 p.m. by a Utah public safety helicopter. The search for Ralston had begun the same morning, after authorities were notified he was four days overdue reporting for work.

Ralston was described by authorities as an avid outdoorsman in exceptional physical condition. They said he was known to have climbed 49 of Colorado's major peaks.



fixing ropes and anchors then rapelling is tough enough with TWO hands.......but could you amputate your arm?????
that story gave me the willies...

[mugsy]

I heard about that. What an amazing feat. I don't think I could do it and I know I couldn't do it with a pocket knife.

[lovemyshiba]

WOW--I cannot even imagine. I hope he is in good health otherwise.

[catland]

I hope I never have to find out if I could do that. Yikes. What an amazing person.

[lizbud]

Short answer.......... NOPE.

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by lizbud
Short answer.......... NOPE.

so you'd spend one more night with your arm pinned
under a rock, coyotes howling in the distance, that
pesky squirrel, scurrying underfoot, trying for the crumbs of your last power bar. About sunset there is a cloud of gnats that kinda
hover around your head, right before the snakes and scorpions
wander out of their lairs, just to pick up a early evening snack????

(and i did not to mention the bears, foxes and other animals???)

you are tougher than i am ;)

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by mugsy
I heard about that. What an amazing feat


no no no, it wasn't his feat, it was his arm.....:eek:

[Pam]

Richard I hate to admit this, but the thought of cutting off my arm would probably never enter my mind. Even if it did, I'd be afraid I'd bleed to death. Might as well let nature take its course....

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Pam
Richard I hate to admit this, but the thought of cutting off my arm would probably never enter my mind. Even if it did, I'd be afraid I'd bleed to death. Might as well let nature take its course....

a few year ago there was a gentleman who did the same
thing..he was on his way to a flea market when his van
went over the side of the freeway. (Out here in CA some of the freeways are elevated and have quite a bit of growth on the sides.) This guy was trapped about 30 FEET away from the side of the road.

No one witnessed the accident and his cries for help could not be heard over the noise of the cars. So he took a knife and cut his arm off.

Don't "hate to admit" anything i guess we'll never know until we get into a situation like that.

[mugsy]

Hey goofball....I said F-E-A-T not F-E-E-T! lol

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by mugsy
Hey goofball....I said F-E-A-T not F-E-E-T! lol

goofball, huh?????

i should have known better.....

lolol

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i will learn reading comprehension
i will learn reading comprehension


:p

[mugsy]

You are such a brat!! lol...no wonder I gave you a detention!! :p :p

[yorkster]

Originally posted by RICHARD
so you'd spend one more night with your arm pinned
under a rock, coyotes howling in the distance, that
pesky squirrel, scurrying underfoot, trying for the crumbs of your last power bar. About sunset there is a cloud of gnats that kinda
hover around your head, right before the snakes and scorpions
wander out of their lairs, just to pick up a early evening snack????

(and i did not to mention the bears, foxes and other animals???)

you are tougher than i am ;)


Well........I WAS going to say a great big NO ,
but after reading all that, I guess it's a maybe . :confused: :eek:
I guess a person never really knows exactily what they can/will do in extreme situations until it happens.

[joycenalex]

i saw some tv footage of the area where he was hiking, and i knew, as urbanized as i am, i would never go to a place that remote. do hikers/climbers carry satelite or cell phones when they go so far out? should they? do they have to check in with a ranger if they're climbing in a state/national forest so someone has an idea where they might be? i know one of the climbers that died on everest was able to use the satelite phone to speak to his wife in new zealand as he was freezing.

[Cincy'sMom]

My inital thought is no way! But then, until you are really there, you have no idea what you may be able to do.

[Cataholic]

I second Joycenalex's sentiment, and take it one step forward...I think it is incredibly ignorant to put yourself in such a perilous situation all for the sake of exercise. I feel the same way about those people that go climb some huge mountain, and die in the midst of it. Wanna prove something? Go donate your time to some worthy cause...go run road races that raise money for charity, go volunteer. Why put yourself out like that? There has got to be another way.

Some of this irksome feeling I have stems from the recent re-play of those four or five people that jumped off of some bridge all connected together. Only one of the bunch DID NOT sustain life threatening injuries. WHY BE STUPID?

[captain]

That story was on our local news last night. I could not believe it!

To do that, and then HIKE OUT - and not bleed to death!!!

Amazing feat ( :p - testing Richard)

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Cataholic
I second Joycenalex's sentiment, and take it one step forward...I think it is incredibly ignorant to put yourself in such a perilous situation all for the sake of exercise. I feel the same way about those people that go climb some huge mountain, and die in the midst of it. Wanna prove something? Go donate your time to some worthy cause...go run road races that raise money for charity, go volunteer. Why put yourself out like that? There has got to be another way.

Some of this irksome feeling I have stems from the recent re-play of those four or five people that jumped off of some bridge all connected together. Only one of the bunch DID NOT sustain life threatening injuries. WHY BE STUPID?

i enjoyed watching that tape.......
'let's plan this really daring stunt, but we'll underestimate the tensile strength of the wire.....Geromino!'

(do you think Geronimo gets ticked off when people yell that before jumping to their deaths?????)

The gent who hacked his arm off made three big mistakes,
climbing alone, not telling anyone that if he wasnt home by
that evening to call the authorities, not having a cell.....

at this moment there are 12 disabled climbers trying to get to the top of Everest.....THAT REALLY IS DUMB...i understand that people need to be challenged but you can't be saved after 20,000 feet...
you are on your own....


captain,

do you think I am going to fall for that one???;)


actually it was an amazing feat, they carried him for a few miles
before he was found....do you know what size of shoe he wore??? lol.:p

[mugsy]

Oh yeah fine...give me a hard time, but not captain....I see how you are!! lol

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by mugsy
Oh yeah fine...give me a hard time, but not captain....I see how you are!! lol

HEY, i learned my lesson.....i don't want to cause anymore problems.....:eek:

[Cheshirekatt]

If I knew that my animals were home alone and hungry....you bet I could do it. The instinct for survival is an amazing thing. You never know what you're capable of if it comes right down to it. That guy is amazing. He pretty much rescued himself. Bravo!

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Cheshirekatt
The instinct for survival is an amazing thing. You never know what you're capable of if it comes right down to it.


a small update on the story.....


the climber used a rock to break the bones in his forearm BEFORE
he used the knife to cut soft tissue!!!!!!!!!!


double willies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RICHARD]

Please watch the LEARNING CHANNEL....

The Aron Ralston story aired tonight!!

[PJ's Mom]

I watched it. It's not the first time it's been on and everytime I hear his story I start feeling weak. ;)

Can you imagine having to do that? :eek: I really don't know if I could do it or not, but since I'm so afraid of death I probably would.

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by PJ's Mom
I watched it. It's not the first time it's been on and everytime I hear his story I start feeling weak. ;)


You are a far better person than I.......I got leaky eye syndrome.:(

[Bigyummydog]

i've been know to be pretty good in an emergency..........but, I D O N ' T K N O W :eek:


...ok richard, let me have it ................who said "nobody likes a smart ass?" :D

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by Bigyummydog



...ok richard, let me have it ................who said "nobody likes a smart ass?" :D

Anyone who has spent 5 minutes with me?

:confused: :o :rolleyes: ;)

[tikeyas_mom]

I watched a documentary on this rock climber today, his name is Aron. I thought it was amazing. When he discribed the way he cut through the nerve and tendance I almost puked... so groos..
But h survived... the will to survive is soo strong in people. it is amazing...

[Twisterdog]

I don't think any of us should discount our own ability to survive. The fact of the matter is, NO one knows what they could or could not do in a situation like that. Sitting here now, in my cozy house, I am thinking, "There is NO WAY I could do that! I'd just have to lay there and die." But ... who knows. The will to survive is an amazing thing. Animals caught in leg-hold traps often chew off their own foot to get out. It's instinct, perhaps.

[LorraineO]

I think I could about do anything in order to survive,,, I would do it for my kids,, to see them again, not sure if I could do it for me.... its a huge traumatic thing to do,, cut ones own arm off,,,,