# Climber amputates arm then hikes to safety! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 2, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581 "2003-05-02T06:37:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@Ell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ell)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/1 "2003-05-02T06:37:47Z")
Ouch! [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/05/01/national2349EDT0899.DTL](http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/05/01/national2349EDT0899.DTL) ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/2 "2003-05-02T07:36:43Z")
> [@](#): > > 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. That is one tough dude. Even though he is now shy one arm, I wouldn’t mess with him. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/3 "2003-05-02T08:09:44Z")
That is one tough sonofabitch. I’m with **Fugazi** ; I wouldn’t want to meet his ass in a dark alley. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/4 "2003-05-02T10:48:58Z")
I think this is a phony story. I did a Google News search for Aron Ralston, [and look what I came up with from the Denver Post.](http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~97~1354729,00.html) Very strange. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/5 "2003-05-02T10:54:18Z")
Nope, I take it back, aftr fuurther searching around, it does seem genuine. Another [Post](http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~1364264,00.html) story here. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/6 "2003-05-02T11:03:27Z")
Yikes… I weep when I get a paper-cut! 🙂 As for the second story - perhaps a string of \*\* very \*\* bad luck for Aron Ralston? Between April 28th and May the 1st (the respective dates in which the articles were published), I guess it’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/7 "2003-05-02T12:10:02Z")
The news mentioned, just before the commercial break, “A hiker gets trapped by a boulder; and you won’t _believe_ what he did to escape!” I just _knew_ he amputated something. (That haven’t run the story yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/8 "2003-05-02T13:54:20Z")
OK, points for toughness and true grit. But minus maybe 100 points for climbing alone. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/9 "2003-05-02T14:53:10Z")
Same guy…the first Denver link says the avalanche was in February…the story seems to be a re-cap of the CO avalanche season. Then the second Denver link says Aron survived an avalanche in Feb. only to cut his arm off in April. “It’s just a flesh wound” ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/10 "2003-05-02T15:03:02Z")
He’s gotta be kicking himself though. He amputated his arm, started hiking home, and was spotted by search helicopters that same afternoon. Pretty good odds that if he’d stayed put they’d have found him almost as quickly, no? ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/11 "2003-05-02T15:04:07Z")
This doesn’t jibe with something a college professor told me about surgeons before the 20th Century (though he could be wrong). He said that it used to be part of the test to become a surgeon that you would be timed on how quickly you could saw through a cadaver’s leg. If you took over a minute (or whatever it was), you were out, because a live patient would have gone into shock from the pain and blood loss by that time. So either Prof. Thomas was wrong, a severed arm doesn’t bleed as much as a leg, the climber cut off his arm really quickly, or he is one badassed mofo and should be made a knight or a superhero or _something_. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/12 "2003-05-02T15:24:42Z")
I had an issue with that too, but it’s possible that the area was pretty crushed, and so he “only” had to saw through the skin and muscle. As for the search parties finding him, I’d guess that it might be likely that they wouldn’t have seen him pinned under that boulder, compared to away from it and walking upright. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/13 "2003-05-02T15:36:37Z")
Not only tough, but able to keep his mind clear whilst slicing though his own tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. His sensory gating system most likely kicked in and he was performing out of sheer adrenalin. Then to have the piece of mind to climb down, get help. He should get an award for courage and bravery. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/14 "2003-05-02T15:37:09Z")
Probably, the arm wouldn’t have been salvageable anyway, what with being pinched under a boulder for so many days and all. But Good Lord! I couldn’t never have done it. I have trouble cutting my toenails! ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/15 "2003-05-02T16:04:49Z")
**DeVena** - you just said something very interesting. That you couldn’t have done it… Well I bet 5 days before Aaron went out he couldn’t have done it either. But I think this can be likened to an animal stuck in a foot trap. They will often gnaw off their foot to get loose. Not quite the same but in principle it is spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Zenham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a5b964/32.png) [@Zenham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenham)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/16 "2003-05-02T16:28:20Z")
I have trouble cutting your toenails too, DeVena. Please, for the love of god… Lamasil! ---
**Author:** ![Ashkicker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4bbf92/32.png) [@Ashkicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashkicker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/17 "2003-05-02T16:56:44Z")
I heard about this on the news. He must be made of steel. That would take so much courage. Surely his arm had to be numb. Or at least I hope so. Even so you know that had to hurt like hell. I think I would have passed out cold. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/18 "2003-05-02T17:03:24Z")
I do a similar thing on Saturday and Sunday mornings sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Pessor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@Pessor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pessor)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/19 "2003-05-02T17:56:21Z")
You beat me to it **Bruce\_Daddy**. I was guessing he made the boulder part up to add to his badassidness. He woke up with some roadhouse floosie and needed to get out without waking her. Plus, he wanted a few days off from work.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581/20 "2003-05-02T19:04:04Z")
No, that would have made it a _lot_ more difficult. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/climber-amputates-arm-then-hikes-to-safety/172581.md?page=2)