Kell Morris and his wife Jo Roop were hiking the Fourth of July Creek near the Gulf of Alaska on May 24th when they were trying to find a river crossing and accidentally triggered a rockslide.
When the rockslide had ended, Kell was trapped under a 700-pound boulder facedown in the frigid creek, which seems to have been quite shallow. Even with the shallow water, however, Kell's wife Jo had to hold his head above it while she called 911 and then waited for rescuers.
Fortunately for the couple, a helicopter tour company overheard the 911 dispatch via one of their employees who works as a volunteer firefighter, so they offered up their helicopter up for a rescue effort. The route to Kell Morris was inaccessible to ATVs due to its "extreme terrain" so the helicopter was a huge stroke of luck.
Reports tell me that three hours after being trapped by the boulder, rescuers finally set Kell free.
Here's the scoop from the Seward Fire Department:
Great work, gentlemen!
It seems Kell left the scene with minor injuries, and he says he's already planning his next hike.
Good on ya, Kell! And good on your wife for rounding up the troops and keeping you alive while they made their way to you!
Here's the story in video form:
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