Aron Ralston traveled to southeastern Utah to explore Canyonlands National Park on April 25,

2003. He slept in his truck that night, and at 9:15 a.m. the next morning — a beautiful, sunny
Saturday, perfect day for hiking — he rode his bicycle 15 miles to Bluejohn Canyon, an 11-mile-
long gorge that in some places measures just three feet wide. He then locked his bike and walk
towards the canyon’s opening. At around 2:45p.m, Aron started to descend into the canyon. Inside
the canyon, he selected a chockstone as the next step, because this route will be safer than others
and can avoid overhang. When he was dangling on the stone, the stone quaked and it falls to the
bottom, imprisoning his hands between the rock and the wall of the canyon, followed by the
torturing pain in his arm.
Aron did not inform anyone about this trip since he thought this was a short trip, so he did not
bring too many resources like water or food. The water he has was only 350ml and he only had
two burritos and a very little number of snacks. The nearest village is more than 30km from him
and he has no equipment to contact with the outside world. This means that there is very little
possibility for others to discover him and rescue him. It’s even hard for god to find him and bless
him.
During the first five days (until April 30), he tried to push that 360-kilograms-rock off from him.
However, with only one arm, there is barely anything he can change to the rock. The water and
food, even under his strict limitation, were about to run out. He knew the moment he had no food
or water, is when he would end his life. The sense of powerlessness, intimidation of the short
supply, and suffering pain rot his strong and manly mind, enlightening despair and fear toward his
final fate. During the first few days, he tried to vent his despairs to the wall, to the rock, and to the
air. After running out of water, he started to drink his urine. He wrote down his name, birthday,
and his death day he presumes onto the rock. He recorded a video for his family, with his final
words and his mixed emotion in it. He also gains hallucinates on the screen that his future children
were playing with him, and he loses part of his right arm. He can not keep himself from thinking
about the possibility of cutting his arm off to escape from here.
In the following days he discovered that his arm had begun to decompose due to the lack of
circulation, and became desperate to tear it off. He tried to use his knife but the bones are too
strong. Ralston then got the realization that he could use torque against his immobilized arm to
fracture his radius and ulna bones. After doing so, he used his multi-tool to amputate his forearm,
using the dull 2-inch (50 mm) knife and pliers for the harder tendons. The painful process took an
hour, during which time he used tubing from a CamelBak as a tourniquet, taking care to leave
major arteries until last. Ralston lost 25% of his blood volume during the course of the hour-long
procedure. Ralston exited the slot canyon while one-handed, dehydrated, and losing blood. He
then rappelled down a 65-foot vertical rock and trekked six of the eight miles back to his car while
high on adrenaline.
After escaping and another six-mile hiking, he met a family from the Netherlands. They called
Aron a helicopter to transport him to the hospital. At the hospital, he did five surgeries.
Aron knew from the doctor that afterward that even if he brought his right arm from that rock to
the hospital, he will need to cut it again. It was his bravery and positive saved him.
To avoid this tragedy from happening again, the explorers are recommended to bring contact
devices like a satellite phone and inform their family, and friends of their trip in detail, including
where, when, and how. Also, be careful on the next step, do not take a too risky route. Also, be
calm and positive if already in such a difficulty, organize the supply like food and water, and
check the equipment to find a way to escape. Be determined about every decision, and be brave to
face the consequences brought by those decisions.