Montana nurse hikes 10 miles after trekking pole impales him

A Montana nurse demonstrated extraordinary composure and resilience after being impaled by his own trekking pole during a climb of the state’s highest peak, subsequently hiking more than 10 miles to safety with the object still lodged in his body. The incident occurred on July 20, 2026, while David Cifaldi, 32, was ascending the 12,799-foot Granite Peak in the Beartooth Mountains with two friends, Jesse Ross and Brad Reich.

The group was approximately 10 miles into their climb, at an elevation of about 11,800 feet, when Cifaldi slipped on loose rock and fell forward. One of his trekking poles pierced completely through his torso, entering under his left arm and exiting his lower back, narrowly missing vital organs. Fellow hiker Jesse Ross later described the pole as sticking out both ends with roughly eight inches between the two holes.

Cifaldi, an experienced emergency room nurse who now works in wound care, immediately relied on his medical training. He calmly assessed his condition, noting he had full feeling, was not bleeding heavily, could breathe normally, and was not lightheaded. Recognizing that removing an impaled object in the field can exacerbate bleeding, he decided...