Nurse impaled by pole during hike forced to trek 10 miles for help: 'A freak thing'

A wound care clinic nurse survived a freak hiking accident — and impressively hiked 10 miles to safety after suffering a serious injury.

David Cifaldi, who previously worked as an emergency room nurse, was impaled by a trekking pole while climbing Montana’s Granite Peak on July 20.

Cifaldi was hiking with two friends before the accident occurred, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help him.

YELLOWSTONE OFFICIALS DECIDE FATE OF BISON THAT LAUNCHED GRANDFATHER 8 FEET IN AIR

At about 11,800 feet, Cifaldi “stepped on a small loose rock, dropped his trekking pole and fell forward,” per the GoFundMe set up by a friend.

“The pole went all the way through his lat, sticking out both ends, with roughly 8 inches between the two holes,” the page said.

Cifaldi, who works at a local wound care clinic, self-assessed the situation “calmly,” his friend wrote.

“No bleeding, full feeling, no lightheadedness, nothing vital hit, and the pole stable in place,” said the GoFundMe page.

BLACK BEARS INVADE LAKE TAHOE HOMES AS BREAK-INS SURGE AND LOCALS FORTIFY DEFENSES

“Given his condition, he made the call to self-rescue rather than wait for extraction — hiking 10 miles back to the trailhead with a trekking pole still through his body.”

As they descended, Cifaldi also asked one of his friends to go ahead and warn approaching hikers so that no children would unexpectedly encounter his injuries, according to the fundraiser.

After reaching the trailhead, Cifaldi was driven about two hours to an emergency room in Billings, the nearest hospital equipped to remove the pole, according to the GoFundMe page.

URGENT YELLOWSTONE FISHING CLOSURES HIT 3 RIVERS AS WATER TURNS DEADLY

“All told, it was in place for 8–9 hours from the fall to removal,” the friend wrote. “David is now receiving ongoing care, with the possibility of surgery still to come.”

Cifaldi described the incident to local outlet KTMF as “just kind of a freak thing.”

“I think my nurse brain clicked on,” said Cifaldi.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“As soon as I was able to self-assess and establish that this was not life-threatening right now, I was pretty convinced I was going to get off that mountain under my own power.”

The healthcare professional added that he feels “very lucky.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE NEWS

“A couple inches the other way and this would be a different story,” he said, per KTMF.

Fox News Digital reached out to Cifaldi for additional comment.

On a Reddit forum dedicated to odd news, users praised Cifaldi’s grit and determination.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“Good job, man!” one person wrote.

“Yikes!! Glad they made it to treatment,” another said.

Related Posts

Trump meets Ireland's leaders before heading to his golf club in Doonbeg

President Trump held talks in Dublin with Irish President Catherine Connolly and Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin during a weekend visit centered on a major golf tournament. (Image credit: Julia…

Women’s sneakers from Hoka, Nike and more are up to 60% off right now

Shop today’s best women’s sneaker deals, with savings up to 60% off running and everyday styles from Nike, Hoka, On, Adidas and Kizik — all available now while supplies last.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You Missed

Man shot during road-rage incident in Atlanta, police say

Man shot during road-rage incident in Atlanta, police say

Tennessee man continues annual 50-mile run to honor 9/11 victims, despite health challenges

Tennessee man continues annual 50-mile run to honor 9/11 victims, despite health challenges

NASCAR legend and longtime stock car racing driver Gary Myers has died at age 76

NASCAR legend and longtime stock car racing driver Gary Myers has died at age 76

Where have all the Atlantic hurricanes gone? El Nino might bring record slow storm season

Where have all the Atlantic hurricanes gone? El Nino might bring record slow storm season

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says AI industry needs to give safety measures time to catch up

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei says AI industry needs to give safety measures time to catch up

Metro Atlanta storms leave behind flooding, downed trees – FOX 5 Atlanta

Metro Atlanta storms leave behind flooding, downed trees – FOX 5 Atlanta