The hiker amputee...... 4 Questions

[Fuel]

This is from the other thread:

Four Questions:, that I didn't see answered anywhere.

1) Was his voice raspy/gone when he arrived to civilization? If I were him, I would have lost my voice easily, trying to scream for help......

2) Also, how do we know for sure he was stuck for 4 days? What other source do we have for this information, besides him?

3) What was determined to be the cause of the bolder falling? Was it natural or did he accidentally cause it? Who made this determination?

4) What was his bodily position this whole time?

Not doubting him, he's a champ. I'm just curious.

[Mayor McJesus]

I haven't heard the answers to any of those questions. They're all important to understanding this story too- especially the cause of the rock slide. I've also been wondering how someone can go missing for four days without, apparently, anybody else noticing. Why wasn't there a search effort?

I'm a fairly experienced hiker and this guy broke one of the fundamental safety rules: Always (especially if you're going to a remote area) tell someone else exactly where you are going and when to expect you back. It's just common sense. Maybe they could have found him the night he was injured or, at least, the following morning and saved him from a whole lot of misery.

By the way, if he was really tough, he would have chewed his arm off.

[Ice Wolf]

Some more info at this previously asked GQ thread: "Did the hiker amputee have no choice? Is there something odd about this story?"

[dec]

it seems to me you would pass out after doing this to yourself....you would be weak and dizzy and unable to walk however miles he walked....weird....

[joe_iguana]

If you read the articles guys....he says that he realizes he messed up by not having told people for how long he was going...he even said he broke rule number one in rock climbing...that happens and it usually costs ya. as for the questions...1) probably...plus he had no water for 4 days...can't imagine that helps the old voice box much 2)well, people knew when he left, they just didn't know when he was planning on returning 3) the area had had heavy rains not too long before and that had shifted some of the stones....i'm sure you guys have heard of a little thing called erosion right? lol...and he just happened to put his arm in the wrong place at the wrong time 4)as for bodily position...i imagine not a good one, since in one of the recent interview he said how he had to make a "seat out of his climbing ropes because he couldn't maintain the position he was caught in....so it sounds like he was in the midst of climbing when the pinning happened......scary stuff man.

[joe_iguana]

passing out? you ever been on an adrenaline rush before? after you get out, you'd definitely crash out as I"m sure he did after he found those hikers....crazy dutch, I bet they gave him some drugs. lol

[lite]

Number 2...yeah, I'm pretty tough, but to cut off my own arm on a mountain? I'd have to be pretty desperate to do that, and small chance I'd have a team of doctors and nurses to help me. Even less chance I could convince them to forego ethical standards so that all would ignore the arm so searches could find it after it was too late to reattach it. I'm just wondering mental capacity for him to say he's going out again.

[Gary T]

4) A report linked in the other thread indicates he was in a standing position.

[ParentalAdvisory]

Another question. How the hell did he cut through bone with a dull knife? I guess he could've cut where the bone was crushed, if it was. If the bone wasn't crushed, I would think he'd bleed out trying to cut through the bone, as it would probably take forever.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

He apparently snapped the bone before he began cutting.

[j.c.]

Fuel, people have been kind enough to provide links to reports and news stories that contain the answers to all these questions. Why do you persist? I think you're a champ, I'm just curious as to why you want me or other posters to cut and paste for you when you can simply read for yourself.

[Earl Snake-Hips Tucker]

Here's one kinda interesting thing:

The rock was supposedly measured 30 x 42 x 54 inches. Now, if that were a perfect box shape, that's about 39 cubic feet.

OK, but it was probably irregular, so let's just estimate half that, or 20 cubic feet.

I read that sand weighs about 100 pounds per cubic foot, so if the boulder had the same sort of density, you're looking at about a ton--with those admittedly inexact numbers.

That sounds like a lot of weight to move.

[Fuel]

Originally posted by j.c.
Fuel, people have been kind enough to provide links to reports and news stories that contain the answers to all these questions. Why do you persist? I think you're a champ, I'm just curious as to why you want me or other posters to cut and paste for you when you can simply read for yourself.

My main question was the first one, which was definately not answered to my knowledge. The other questions I asked either had no answer I had seen, or had multiple conflicting answers. I posted them to get the straight dope on them, because I figured starting another new post would help these questions get answered correctly, as opposed to a thread several pages long and filled with debates and opinions.

I am overwhelmingly sorry and sorrowfully regretful for any inconvenience I have caused you with this thread, on a message board, on the internet.

[joe_iguana]

lol why do you care if he lost his voice or not? this isn't Pavorotti we're talking about here. hehe.

[Fuel]

For him to still have his voice after his event, that would pretty much seal this deal as a hoax (or seal the deal that he's a moron for cutting off his arm before trying to scream for help until his voice was gone).

Not that I am trying to catch this poor guy in a lie because I am bored and ruthless, it's just a simple question that has a simple answer and is relevant to some other threads questioning his stories' validity.

[Mayor McJesus]

This clearly isn't a hoax , since they found the severed arm pinned under the enormous boulder (unless, of course, he's one seriously dedicated prankster).

He's still an idiot for not telling other people his itinerary before he left.

[MaryEFoo]

One story in the S.F. Chronicle said he was canyoneering (like mountain climbing but moving through steep canyons instead), and was climbing past some boulders when one rolled under his weight and pinned him. It was a narrow deepcut canyon about 3' wide where it happened (this an arid area), and the boulder jammed his forearm against the wall of the slot. He could bend his knees.

He did have water (3 liters?) and some food. He did run out of water.

If a man was pinned for 4-5 days, you would expect him to yell, pry, dig, think, sweat, etc etc throughout all that time. It may be that he was semi-delirious when he got to work on his arm, or just desperately logical.

He was reported to have not answered all questions, and had a publicist at the time of the interview. The first could be explained by embarrassment, weirdness, or a number of other speculations, but the second looks as if he was thinking movie rights.

It's his business if he was thinking movie and megabucks.

Other witnesses found his amputated hand flattened behind a boulder. If he managed to set it up in hopes of making money, he's amazingly crazy, and IMHO the story as printed makes more sense than that.

[Hern]

Whenever I've been mountaineering or climbing I've made a point of taking a whistle with me. This is pretty standard safety stuff - which, of course, doesn't guarantee that this guy had one!

What is does mean, however, is that I could be pretty raspy after that kind of ordeal but not necessarily have to shout myself hoarse.

Of course, if you're determined to believe that this is some kind of hoax, then I'm sure you can believe that he spent a few days outside shouting to get an authentic sand-paper voice.