While hiking is typically considered a safe endeavor, it does come with its dangers. If you are ill-equipped for the journey, it could quickly become dire. Additionally, if you somehow manage to get injured or lost, then your scenic walk could turn deadly rather quickly. One hiker learned that lesson the hard way when they became injured on their trek. Learn how a scream saved that injured hiker's life.
How A Scream Saved A Hiker's Life
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Backpacker shares the story of how a 31-year-old hiker is lucky to be alive after suffering serious injuries due to a fall. Ryan Polkinghorn was just trying to enjoy a nice hike in Washington. A press release shared that he was climbing the "Chickamin Glacier on the northern slopes of 8,440-foot Sinister Peak, a remote, rugged mountain in the North Cascades." While the views must have been incredible, the landscape was also treacherous.
That is when the young hiker lost his footing and fell roughly 200 feet down the steep slope. Luckily for him, he never lost consciousness. Had that been the case, I fear this story would have had an entirely different ending. Recognizing the direness of his situation, Polkinghorn didn't just sit around and wait for help. However, he couldn't exactly move either. So, he did the one thing he could: he screamed.
Over and over, the injured hiker yelled, desperately hoping someone would hear his pleas for help. Luckily for him, his efforts were rewarded. Hikers across the canyon heard his screams. Although they could not reach him themselves, they did send out a distress call. While they waited for Emergency Responders, the group of hikers who heard Polkinghorn's call for help began to make their way towards him.
The Rescue
Eventually, after navigating the tricky terrain, they were able to locate the injured hiker. Additionally, they could tell that he had suffered "head, neck, and shoulder injuries." Not to mention he was also showing "signs of early-stage hypothermia." Had he not called for help like he did, it is likely he would not have survived.
Luckily, he did call for help, and that scream saved the hiker's life. Polkinghorn was airlifted off the mountain and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for further treatment. Experts commend him for his choice to yell and recommend that same tactic to all other hikers. Even if you yell if faint, or if you think no one will hear you, stay where you are and keep on yelling.
