Nurse David Cifaldi Walks 16 km After Trekking Pole Impales Him on Montana’s Granite Peak
On July 20 2026, 32‑year‑old wound‑care nurse David Cifaldi slipped near the summit of Granite Peak, Montana’s highest mountain (≈12 800 ft). He fell onto his own 44‑inch (112 cm) steel‑tipped trekking pole, which entered below his left armpit, passed through back muscle and exited the opposite side, leaving a passage of about 20 cm. Cifaldi performed a self‑assessment, found he was conscious, had minimal bleeding and no vital‑organ damage, and decided against a helicopter rescue because of the cost. Using a Garmin inReach satellite messenger, he and two friends trekked roughly 16 km (10 mi) and descended about 5 000 ft over six hours to a trailhead where a friend’s vehicle waited. He was then taken to Hospital Regional St. Vincent in Billings, where surgeons removed the pole under conscious sedation. Cifaldi recovered, returned to work within a week, and said he plans to attempt the summit again next year.
Entities: Billings Hospital (St. Vincent Regional Hospital) · Billings Hospital Regional St. Vincent · Billings Regional Hospital · Billings, Montana · Brad Reich · David Cifaldi · Froze‑to‑Death Plateau · Garmin inReach · Granite Peak · Hospital Regional St. Vincent · Hospital Regional St. Vincent · Intermountain Health Hospital
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 10 SOURCES] He sent a distress signal using a GPS‑enabled satellite communicator. (He sent a distress signal using a GPS‑enabled satellite communicator.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] David Cifaldi, 32, slipped on 20 July while climbing Granite Peak in Montana. (source)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Cifaldi and two friends chose to descend without helicopter assistance, walking roughly 16 km over six hours to a safe spot. (source)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He emphasized the importance of having rescue equipment on remote trails. (source)
- [● 10 SOURCES] He remained breathing, with no major bleeding and his lungs were unharmed. (He remained breathing, with no major bleeding and his lungs were unharmed.)
- [● 3 SOURCES] A trekking pole penetrated his torso below the left armpit, traversed back muscle, and exited the opposite side, creating a passage about 20 cm long. (source)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He plans to return to Granite Peak next year to complete the ascent. (source)
- [● 3 SOURCES] He was later evacuated and underwent surgery to remove the pole under conscious sedation, with a drain installed. (source)
- [● 22 SOURCES] The trekking pole entered below his left axilla, passed through back muscle and exited the opposite side, creating a passage about 20 cm long. (existing)
- [● 20 SOURCES] The pole entered below his left axilla, passed through back muscle and exited the opposite side, creating a passage about 20 cm long. (All articles)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Two friends accompanied Cifaldi, one sending a GPS distress signal while the other documented the wound. (a26074af-1de9-49b2-b667-c03a0becb1ce, 8b13f866-2887-4c9d-841a-8aa09a68501f)
- [● 22 SOURCES] He walked roughly 16 km over six to seven hours to reach safety before receiving medical help. (existing)