Overview
- David Cifaldi, a 32-year-old ER/wound-care nurse, was pierced by his own trekking pole while climbing Granite Peak and chose to leave the pole in place to limit further injury.
- With two friends, Cifaldi descended across snowfields and boulder fields for more than 10 miles in roughly six and a half hours to reach the trailhead for help.
- One companion used a satellite communicator to alert rescue teams while another stayed close to monitor Cifaldi throughout the long descent.
- He was taken first to a local hospital and later transferred to Intermountain Health in Billings, where medical staff removed the pole and he is now recovering at home.
- A GoFundMe launched to cover medical costs had raised about $2,700 toward a $10,000 goal, a reminder that remote rescues and hospital transfers can create sizable out-of-pocket bills.