Between A Rock And A Hard Place
Hopelessly pinned by a boulder that rolled onto his arm in a remote canyon, adventurer Aron Ralston did the unthinkable - he cut off his own arm to save his life.
Ralston's ordeal began April 26, during what was supposed to be a day trip near Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Ralston, 27, became hopelessly pinned as he scrambled over three boulders wedged into a narrow canyon. One of the boulders, weighing an estimated 800 pounds, rolled as he climbed over it, trapping his right arm against a cliff face.
He tried chipping away with his knife at the boulder and the cliff, and tried to rig a way to lift the boulder off himself with climbing gear. He decided to sacrifice his arm to save his life after going through most of his three liters of water and his food: two burritos and some crumbs clinging to candy bar wrappers.
He then crawled through a narrow, winding canyon, rappelled down a 60-foot cliff and walked some six miles down the southeastern Utah canyon.
By the time he encountered hikers and then rescuers, Ralston was just two miles from the nearest road.
Ralston talks about his ordeal and his new book on Tuesday's The Early Show.
Here is an excerpt from his book, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place."
"The chockstone [a midsize boulder] shudders as my body's weight puts enough torque on the rock to disturb it from its position. Instantly, I know this is trouble, and instinctively I let go of the rotating boulder to land on the round rocks on the canyon floor. Looking up, the backlit chockstone falling towards my head consumes the sky. Fear shoots my hands over my head…
"The next three seconds play out at a tenth their normal speed. Time dilates, like I'm dreaming, and my reactions decelerate. In slow motion: The rock smashes my left hand against the south wall; my eyes register the collision and I yank my left arm back as the rock ricochets in the confined space; the boulder then crushes my right hand and ensnares my right arm at the wrist, palm in, thumb up, fingers extended; the rock slides another foot down the wall with my arm in tow, tearing the skin off the lateral side of my forearm. Then, silence."
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. Ralston's ordeal began April 26, during what was supposed to be a day trip near Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Ralston, 27, became hopelessly pinned as he scrambled over three boulders wedged into a narrow canyon. One of the boulders, weighing an estimated 800 pounds, rolled as he climbed over it, trapping his right arm against a cliff face.
He tried chipping away with his knife at the boulder and the cliff, and tried to rig a way to lift the boulder off himself with climbing gear. He decided to sacrifice his arm to save his life after going through most of his three liters of water and his food: two burritos and some crumbs clinging to candy bar wrappers.
He then crawled through a narrow, winding canyon, rappelled down a 60-foot cliff and walked some six miles down the southeastern Utah canyon.
By the time he encountered hikers and then rescuers, Ralston was just two miles from the nearest road.
Ralston talks about his ordeal and his new book on Tuesday's The Early Show.
Here is an excerpt from his book, "Between a Rock and a Hard Place."
"The chockstone [a midsize boulder] shudders as my body's weight puts enough torque on the rock to disturb it from its position. Instantly, I know this is trouble, and instinctively I let go of the rotating boulder to land on the round rocks on the canyon floor. Looking up, the backlit chockstone falling towards my head consumes the sky. Fear shoots my hands over my head…
"The next three seconds play out at a tenth their normal speed. Time dilates, like I'm dreaming, and my reactions decelerate. In slow motion: The rock smashes my left hand against the south wall; my eyes register the collision and I yank my left arm back as the rock ricochets in the confined space; the boulder then crushes my right hand and ensnares my right arm at the wrist, palm in, thumb up, fingers extended; the rock slides another foot down the wall with my arm in tow, tearing the skin off the lateral side of my forearm. Then, silence."
- Dad Punishes Daughter with Free Babysitter Ad Play Video
- How to stop junk mail - forever
- Legit Work-from-Home Websites - and the Scams
- Best Wheeled-Luggage for Your Budget
- Dying teen leaves touching YouTube video
- Schieffer On Terrorism, McCain Play Video
- Terms to Never Use in Your Resume
- Best Low-Tech Cell Phones Suitable for Seniors
