By Sara Schilling
The Wichita Eagle
SEWARD, Alaska 鈥� A multi-agency rescue unfolded after a 61-year-old man became pinned face down by a roughly 700-pound boulder in an Alaska creek, officials said.
The man鈥檚 spouse held his head above water and firefighters mobilized to help him, the Seward Volunteer Fire Department said in a Facebook post.
The man was trapped May 24 in a boulder field in the headwaters of Fourth of July Creek in the Kenai Peninsula, officials said.
Rescuers set up a command post at a quarry about 2 miles downstream and made their way with the help of ATVs through the 鈥渆xtreme terrain,鈥� officials said.
Seward Helicopter Tours jumped to help and flew firefighters to the trapped man, 鈥渃utting down 45 minutes of travel time,鈥� according to officials.
The helicopter couldn鈥檛 land in the boulder field, so firefighters had to jump out while it hovered, officials said.
The 61-year-old man 鈥渨as hypothermic and in and out of consciousness鈥� when rescuers reached him, according to officials.
They used 鈥渁ir bags, ropes, and brute force to lift the boulder off鈥� of him 鈥渁nd pull him to safety,鈥� officials said.
Rescuers warmed him up, 鈥渁nd he became more alert, and his vitals improved,鈥� according to officials.
The Alaska Air National Guard鈥檚 176th Wing hoisted him from the canyon, officials said.
He was taken to a hospital and 鈥渋s expected to make a full recovery,鈥� according to officials, who said he didn鈥檛 appear to have life-threatening injuries.
Facebook commenters had praise for the rescuers.
鈥淒efinitely amazing! Thankful for all of the well-trained responders!鈥� one person wrote.
The Kenai Peninsula is in south central Alaska.
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