could you?

**RICHARD** · 05-02-2003, 01:10 PM

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** · 05-02-2003, 02:10 PM

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** · 05-02-2003, 02:49 PM

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

**catland** · 05-02-2003, 03:19 PM

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

**lizbud** · 05-02-2003, 03:33 PM

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

**RICHARD** · 05-02-2003, 04:07 PM

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** · 05-02-2003, 04:36 PM

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

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

**Pam** · 05-02-2003, 04:54 PM

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** · 05-02-2003, 05:57 PM

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** · 05-02-2003, 07:23 PM

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

**RICHARD** · 05-02-2003, 08:39 PM

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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**mugsy** · 05-02-2003, 08:58 PM

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

**yorkster** · 05-02-2003, 09:37 PM

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 .

I guess a person never really knows exactily what they can/will do in extreme situations until it happens.

**joycenalex** · 05-03-2003, 07:56 AM

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.