Hiker impaled by trekking pole hikes out of Montana mountains

David Cifaldi, a 32-year-old nurse from Billings, Montana, was hiking with two companions on Montana's Froze-to-Death Plateau when he slipped and impaled himself on his 44-inch steel-tipped trekking pole. The pole passed through the flesh under his left arm, missing vital organs, and protruded from his back. After assessing his condition and considering the high cost of a helicopter rescue, Cifaldi decided to self-rescue. The group used a Garmin inReach satellite device to inform authorities of their plan. They descended an unmarked route through boulders and snowfields, then bushwhacked to a trail. After over six hours and about 10 miles of travel, they reached a trailhead where Cifaldi's friend Jesse Ross had parked a vehicle. Cifaldi, who works in wound care, remained alert with little pain or bleeding.