A day of climbing adventure with friends took a tragic turn when a man was hit by a boulder the size of a microwave, propelling him off a cliff.
The force of the boulder fractured Cody Boehm’s collarbone, broke several ribs, caused a severe laceration on his back, and collapsed his right lung, leaving him stranded on a challenging and rocky slope.
This unexpected accident occurred at the Confluence Crag, close to Lions Camp on the Lake Fork of Rock Creek, near Red Lodge, Montana, on Sunday, September 21.
While Boehm was on the ground, his friend climbed 50 feet above. As his friend stepped onto a ledge, a large rock dislodged and fell onto Boehm’s helmeted head before impacting his body.
“I definitely knew my right side was broke,” he informed KTVQ reporters from his hospital bed at Billings Clinic in southern Montana.
“I was feeling like I wasn’t going to make it. There was a point there where I was like, this is bad.”
Boehm continued, “Where I was, kind of steep, lots of rock, really terrible terrain.”
His friends reacted promptly—one remained to maintain his consciousness and reduce the bleeding, while the other sought help.
This led to a major rescue operation.
Red Lodge Fire Rescue, local search and rescue teams, and Custer Gallatin National Forest rangers collaborated to rescue Boehm from the remote location.
Chainsaw crews worked to remove fallen trees from the rugged trail as medical personnel navigated their way to the injured climber.
“The trail had a bunch of trees falling everywhere. So they had a tree crew out there, cut trees down in front of me,” Boehm recalled. “They did amazing.”
He added: “Just seeing a crew, like a massive crew just coming up. It was just cool.”
His survival was credited to one critical factor—his helmet. Without it, he may not have survived.
Boehm’s advice to fellow climbers is straightforward: “Your helmet will save your life no matter what. That’s what saved my life. If I didn’t have my helmet on, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Dr. Gordon Riha, the trauma surgeon treating him at the hospital, spoke to the TV station about the seriousness of Boehm’s injury.
“He was significantly injured. Personnel who were involved in Cody’s care deserve significant praise and a lot of kudos. They went above and beyond with their extraction from a very difficult location,” he stated, emphasizing how Boehm’s helmet was a lifesaver.
“If that would have hit his head… if he wasn’t wearing a helmet, he would have had significant and severe intracranial injury, which likely would have been life-threatening,” the doctor added.