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Granite Peak pole impalement & 16 km self‑rescue

Updated 9 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-31 13:00 UTC → 2026-07-31 13:32 UTC · added removed

On 20 July 2026, 32‑year‑old emergency‑room registered nurse David Cifaldi slipped near the summit of Granite Peak, Montana’s highest mountain, point, and impaled his torso with his own 44‑inch steel‑tipped trekking pole. The pole entered below his left armpit, traversed passed through the latissimus dorsi, and exited the opposite side, creating a roughly 20 cm passage without damaging vital organs. After confirming he was breathing normally and normally, bleeding minimally, Cifaldi and that his lung was intact, Cifaldi fashioned a makeshift splint from his jacket and, with companions Jesse Ross and Brad Reich Reich, chose to descend rather than await a costly helicopter rescue. Using a Garmin inReach satellite messenger, inReach, they walked trekked about 16 km over six to seven hours, descending roughly 5,000 ft to a trailhead where a friend’s vehicle awaited. Cifaldi was air‑lifted to St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings, where surgeons removed the pole under conscious sedation, placed a drain, and discharged him after about a week. He returned to his nursing duties within that timeframe and said he would make the same decision again. He plans to attempt the summit again next year, The dramatic self‑rescue sparked widespread media attention and a renewed discussion of rescue‑cost considerations in U.S. wilderness emergencies. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to help cover his medical costs. A follow‑up report on 28 July 2026 reiterated these details, confirming the 16 km self‑rescue, the six‑hour descent, expenses, and Cifaldi’s swift return he plans to work, underscoring attempt the effectiveness of his decision to self‑rescue. summit again next year.

Versions

  1. 2026-07-31 13:32 UTC Granite Peak pole impalement & 16 km self‑rescue
  2. 2026-07-31 13:00 UTC Granite Peak pole impalement & 16 km self‑rescue
  3. 2026-07-31 06:47 UTC Granite Peak pole impalement & 16 km self‑rescue
  4. 2026-07-30 23:06 UTC Granite Peak pole impalement & 16 km self‑rescue
  5. 2026-07-30 21:51 UTC Granite Peak trekking pole impalement and self‑rescue
  6. 2026-07-30 01:22 UTC Granite Peak trekking pole impalement
  7. 2026-07-29 23:58 UTC Granite Peak trekking pole impalement
  8. 2026-07-29 23:42 UTC Granite Peak trekking pole impalement
  9. 2026-07-29 17:27 UTC Granite Peak trekking pole impalement
  10. 2026-07-29 05:12 UTC Granite Peak trekking pole accident

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