US: 61-year-old man survives after being trapped under 700-pound rock in Alaska

A 61-year-old man in Alaska is expected to make a full recovery after surviving a harrowing ordeal in which a 700-pound rock pinned him down in a creek for several hours.

The incident occurred just before noon last Saturday.

The Seward Fire Department was called after reports of a “61-year-old male pinned by a boulder in the creek,” the department said in a statement.

Emergency crews arrived at Fourth of July Creek to find the man lying face-down in the water. He was trapped beneath the massive rock while his spouse held his head above water.

“The patient was found lying in the creek on his stomach with an approximately 700 lb. boulder on top of him with his spouse holding his head out of water,” officials stated. “The patient was hypothermic and in and out of consciousness.”

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Authorities have not released information about how the boulder ended up on the man or what caused the incident.

The rescue effort involved multiple agencies.

Along with Seward Fire and Seward Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department also assisted.

Responders had to reach the scene by foot, ATV, and helicopter.

“One of Bear Creek FD Volunteer’s works for Seward Helicopter Tours and heard the call while working.

He and a pilot volunteered to respond to the scene and pick up six firefighters via helicopter and transport them to the patient, thus cutting down 45 minutes of travel time,” officials explained.

Due to the rugged terrain, the helicopter was unable to land.

“The patient was in a boulder field and the helicopter could only hover while firefighters had to jump from the helicopter to the ground as the helicopter could not land safely,” the statement added.

Rescuers used air bags, ropes, and “brute force” to lift the boulder and free the man.

“Once out of the water, the crew re-warmed the patient, and he became more alert, and his vitals improved,” the department reported.

Because it was unsafe to transport the patient down the canyon, officials contacted the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center for airlift assistance.

The man was successfully hoisted from the canyon and taken to a waiting ambulance.

He was transported to Seward Providence Hospital, where he is expected to recover fully, with no life-threatening injuries reported.

“It is no doubt that without the help from Seward Helicopter Tours this incident could have had a much different and potentially fatal outcome,” the Seward Fire Department emphasized.

“It is community members and businesses that we work so well with that make our jobs easier and more productive.”

(ABC news)

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