Granite Peak, Montana — What began as an ambitious climb up Montana’s highest mountain quickly turned into an extraordinary fight for survival after a 32-year-old emergency room nurse was impaled by his own trekking pole during a freak hiking accident. Rather than waiting for a difficult mountain rescue, he made the remarkable decision to hike more than 10 miles down rugged terrain with the pole still piercing his body.
Freak Fall Leads to Horrific Injury on Montana’s Tallest Peak
According to reports, David Cifaldi was climbing Granite Peak with two friends last Monday when disaster struck at an elevation of approximately 11,800 feet.
Cifaldi said he slipped on loose rocks, causing him to fall directly onto one of his trekking poles.
“It was just kind of a freak thing,” he explained, describing the accident as an unexpected misstep rather than a dangerous climbing maneuver.
After getting back on his feet, he realized the trekking pole had completely pierced through the side of his torso, leaving part of the pole protruding from both sides of his body.
ER Experience Helped Him Stay Calm
Despite the shocking injury, Cifaldi said his emergency room training immediately helped him assess the situation.
“I think my nurse brain clicked on,” he said.
After quickly evaluating himself, he determined that none of his vital organs appeared to have been immediately damaged, giving him confidence that he could safely move instead of waiting on the mountain.
He recalled believing he could make it back under his own power, a decision that would lead to an exhausting journey across snowfields, rocky slopes, and steep mountain trails.
Grueling 10-Mile Hike With the Pole Still Lodged in His Body
Rather than attempting to remove the trekking pole—a move that could have caused catastrophic bleeding—Cifaldi and his friends wisely left it in place.
One friend used a satellite communicator to notify local search-and-rescue teams, while another remained by Cifaldi’s side throughout the descent.
Together, they carefully navigated Granite Peak’s challenging landscape, crossing snowfields, boulder fields, and steep mountain terrain before eventually reaching the trailhead.
The journey lasted approximately 6½ hours, with Cifaldi covering more than 10 miles despite the severe injury.
His hiking companion, Jesse Ross, later praised his determination, saying Cifaldi never complained and remained in remarkably positive spirits throughout the ordeal.
Ross also shared that, as they approached Mystic Lake, Cifaldi asked one of the group members to walk ahead and warn other hikers so children wouldn’t have to witness the graphic injury.
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Hospital Treatment and Road to Recovery
Once the group reached the trailhead, Cifaldi was transported to a nearby hospital before being transferred to Intermountain Health in Billings, where doctors safely removed the trekking pole.
Reflecting on how narrowly he escaped an even worse outcome, Cifaldi said he feels “very lucky.”
He noted that if the pole had entered just a couple of inches in another direction, the outcome could have been completely different.
The nurse is now recovering and hopes to return to caring for patients as soon as possible. However, his recovery is expected to include substantial medical expenses, and friends have launched a fundraiser to help cover treatment costs and a possible future surgery.
The fundraising campaign has already raised more than $2,700 toward its $10,000 goal, as supporters continue to rally around the remarkable survival story.
What do you think about David Cifaldi’s incredible determination? Would you have attempted the same descent or waited for rescuers? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
