A 61-year-old man from Alaska pinned by a boulder in a freezing creek survived three terrifying hours with help from his wife and rescuers. Kell Morris was hiking with wife Jo Roop near Godwin Glacier south of Anchorage when disaster struck on a rocky creek bed.
The couple, avoiding holiday crowds, chose a remote trail behind a prison in Seward lined with massive boulders deposited by glaciers. Morris slipped down an embankment and landed face-first in icy water when a boulder rolled down and trapped him.
Despite the crushing weight, rocks beneath him bore the impact, sparing him serious injury but pinning him in the water. His wife, a retired Alaska State Trooper, quickly supported his head above water, preventing him from drowning while help arrived.
Roop tried to lift the rock herself for thirty minutes, then climbed uphill until she got cell service to call 911. Using her law enforcement experience to speed up the emergency response efforts, she shared the exact GPS coordinates with dispatch.
Nearby, a sled dog tourism employee overhead the dispatch and redirected a helicopter commonly used for glacier tours. Firefighters from the Bear Creek and Seward departments leaped from the hovering chopper as it couldn’t land safely on the rocks.
The freezing water left Morris hypothermic and semi-conscious, but his wife’s presence kept him calm and alive during the ordeal. Rescuers typically used airbags for car crashes to lift the boulder just enough to prepare for the final push. Seven fighters counted to three and lifted with strength, freeing Morris from beneath a 700-pound rock.
After the intense extraction, an Alaska National Guard helicopter hoisted Morris and the team out with a rescue basket. He spent two nights in the hospital for observation but miraculously escaped with minor injuries and a new outlook on life.
