A climber in Montana was hit by a falling boulder while rock climbing with his friends, and there was one miracle that saved him from severe injury or even death. According to KTVQ, climber Cody Boehm credits his helmet for saving his life after a microwave-sized boulder hit him.
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Montana Climber Credits Helmet For Saving His Life After Rock Struck Him
On Sunday, September 21, Boehm was chatting with his one friend who was climbing around 50 feet up. While attempting to step on a ledge, his friend dislodged a large rock. It came flying downward and collided with Boehm’s head.
It then struck his body, leaving him with a broken collarbone and seven broken ribs. It also left a large laceration on his back
“I definitely knew my right side was broke,” said Boehm while recovering at Billings Clinic. “I was feeling like I wasn’t going to make it. There was a point there where I was like, this is bad.”
The area where the friends were rock climbing made it difficult for a rescue. It occurred at Confluence Crag near the Lions Camp and Red Lodge on the Lake Fork of Rock Creek.
“Where I was, kind of steep, lots of rock, really terrible terrain,” Boehm recalled.”
While one of his friends stayed with Boehm to keep him awake and stable, another friend ran for help. Once they got help, it took multiple agencies to coordinate the rescue operation.
Red Lodge Fire Rescue, the Custer Gallatin National Forest Beartooth Ranger District, and other search and rescue teams banded together to save Boehm. Since he was in a forest, they had to clear fallen timber that was blocking their evacuation route.
“The trail had a bunch of trees falling everywhere,” Boehm explained. “So they had a tree crew out there, cut trees down in front of me. They had the Red Lodge fire rescue crew out there, search and rescue. I mean, they did amazing.”
The Aftermath Of The Accident
Upon seeing the rescue teams arrive to his aid, Boehm was ecstatic. “I just seeing a crew, like a massive crew just coming up. It was just cool,” said Boehm.
A trauma surgeon at Billings Clinic detailed how severe his injuries were. “He was significantly injured,” said Dr. Gordon Riha. “Personnel who were involved in Cody’s care deserve significant praise and a lot of kudos. They went above and beyond with their extraction from a very difficult location, and then they provided lifesaving care on the way to the hospital.”
Not only did he break multiple bones, but his right lung had collapsed and wasn’t inflating properly. Still, Riha was glad that Boehm chose to wear a helmet that day.
“We see all kinds of outdoor-related injuries on almost a daily basis, whether that be bicycling or skiing or snowboarding, or in this case, rock climbing,” Riha explained.
“If that would have hit his head and glanced off of his head, if he wasn’t wearing a helmet, he would have had significant and severe intracranial injury, which likely would have been life-threatening.”
Now, Boehm is urging other climbers to always wear a helmet. “Your helmet will save your life no matter what,” he said. “That’s what saved my life. It hit me in the head. If I didn’t have my helmet on, I wouldn’t be here today.”