A 61-year-old man in Alaska rescued after being trapped facedown under a massive 700-pound boulder in a freezing glacier-fed creek for three hours.

Kell Morris was hiking near Godwin Glacier, outside Anchorage, with his wife when a rockslide pushed him into the creek. The heavy boulder landed on his leg, pinning him in place.

His wife, Jo Roop, a Seward police officer, kept his head above the icy water and called for help, providing exact GPS coordinates.

Rescue teams from Seward Fire Department and Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded by foot, ATV, and helicopter. A volunteer firefighter working for Seward Helicopter Tours overheard the call and helped coordinate the rescue, speeding up the response by 45 minutes.

Because the creek was in a rocky canyon, the helicopter could only hover while firefighters jumped to the ground. Using airbags, ropes, and “brute force,” crews lifted the boulder off Morris and pulled him to safety.

Morris was hypothermic and in and out of consciousness when found. Rescue crews warmed him and stabilized his vitals before hoisting him out of the canyon to a waiting ambulance.

After a few days in hospital, Morris is expected to make a full recovery with no life-threatening injuries.

Morris described the terrifying experience: “The water had gotten up to my chin. I was going in and out of consciousness. I thought I wasn’t going to last long.”

The Seward Fire Department praised the teamwork between local rescuers and the helicopter company, saying, “Without their help, this could have had a very different and potentially fatal outcome.”

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