Heroic Rescue: Teamwork Saves Hiker from 700-Pound Boulder in Alaska

Quick Smiles:

• Rescue teams saved Kell Morris from a 700-pound boulder in Alaska.
• His wife’s quick thinking and a helicopter’s timely arrival were crucial.
• Teamwork and airbags helped lift the boulder, saving Morris’s life.

Kell Morris found himself in an unexpected and perilous situation while hiking with his wife, Joanna Roop, in the Alaskan wilderness. A single misstep triggered an avalanche of boulders, sending Morris tumbling down the terrain.

He ended up pinned face-down in an icy creek by a massive 700-pound boulder.

“It all came loose… and I was sliding with it,” Morris recounted.

“I could hear the noise that large rocks make as they’re rolling over each other. I landed face-down in the river, and then I felt the rock hit me in the back and pin me down.”

Despite his left leg and hip being trapped, Morris’s shoulders remained above the frigid water, thanks to other rocks preventing the boulder from completely crushing him.

His wife, a retired Alaska State Trooper, sprang into action. She ran 300 yards to find a cell phone signal and called 911, providing emergency crews with GPS coordinates for the rescue.

Fortuitously, volunteer firefighter Sam Paperman was nearby, working his tourism job in a helicopter. He quickly diverted to the scene after receiving the rescue call.

As more responders arrived, the situation grew dire. The creek’s water level, fed by glacier ice fields, continued to rise, and Morris began slipping in and out of consciousness due to hypothermia.

Emergency crews used airbags typically employed for vehicle extractions to lift the boulder off Morris.

“It just became an all-hands, brute force of ‘One, two, three, push,’” explained Seward Fire Chief Clinton Crites.

“Seven guys were able to lift it enough to pull the victim out.”

Morris spent two days in the hospital for observation. Thanks to his wife’s quick actions, a stroke of good luck, and the dedicated rescue workers, he emerged from the ordeal with minimal injuries.

“Every star was aligned,” said Chief Crites, highlighting the favorable weather, the number of rescuers, cellular service, and the helicopter tour company’s willingness to help.

“You couldn’t have made the stars align any better for this guy.”

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