Last night I was up late watching an amazing show called I Shouldn't be Alive. In case you haven't seen it,its about people trying to survive in harsh climates due to boat collapse and so on. The episode I was watching was called Canyon Chaos,and today I'm going to tell you about this young mans story into the New Zealand Mountains.In 2009,Matt Briggs was going on a hiking trip for a couple of days up in the mountains with his dog Little Dog,or LD. Matt was sure to bring everything he needed in case of an emergency.After he had everything,he and LD headed up into the mountains in a truck. Once they got to the mountain side they began their long climb up.Matt remembered that if anything goes wrong,he has a distress beacon so choppers can find him in hours.Little did he know in a little while things were going to go gruesomely wrong.
After about 30 mins of harsh climbing Matt and LD reached the top of the mountain. What a view! He spotted a hunters cabbin at the very bottom of the valley,and due to his achievment he thought he deserved some rest. So he began the dangerous journey down hill where one wrong step could be fatal.After about 10 mins of good footing,things went horribly wrong. He had stepped on a loose rock and was sliding down the mountain side! Even worse,he was heading for a 20 foot high cliff! In his words he said "I really didn't think I was going to be alive after that fall."
After the terror of a 20 foot drop he finally touched down on the rocky mountain ground. He was out cold for a few minutes,but,to his relief,he woke up! He was still alive! But when he tried to get up a terrible amount of pain went through his arm. He had shattered his wrist! It was in two different places and was hard to look at. Not knowing that his arm wasn't the only broken limb he tried to stand up,and another terrible pain had gone through his leg. His tibia had been shattered and was pushing out of his skin. He really began to realize he was in big trouble. When he sat up he also noticed he was sitting in a spreading pool of blood. He had to find where he was bleeding and now. He looked all around him and figured out where the wound was.There was a big whole in his thigh! You could actually see the bone bulging out. In complete shock he took his un wounded hand and touched the bone. Then he let out a scream that could be heard all the way to America.
After dealing with the pain he decided to cover the hole with a white t-shirt.More pain,but it was worth it.The bleeding had stopped. But he still had to worry about a shattered wrist and tibia and finding shelter.But then he remembered something. The distress beacon! He could call for help! Just then he hurried through his back pack.Nothing,the beacon was no where to be found.He had left it at his shop!Loosing hope,he realized he would have to pitch a tent with one arm and one foot. Easier said than done. First he had to get to smoother ground. He noticed a creek 6 feet bellow him,he would have to crawl the entire way. 10 mins later he had reached the creek and pitched his tent there. It wasn't easy,he banged his hand with a rock while trying to put it together. Few hours later,night fall came. The tent was up,but his sleeping bag was drenched.He decided he had to ware all his clothes to keep warm.Still cold,he had an idea.He used LD as a warm blanket,and lucky for him,LD didn't mind.
The next morning,he had a quick drink and had breakfast,kinda.He then remembered that if he waited for 6 more days,choppers would come looking for him. It made him sad,having to live out there for 6 more days with little water and food.But he did. six days later a storm was coming through. Choppers can't fly in storms. So he waited the storm out. Then he heard a loud roaring sound. The roaring of water. He looked outside his tent and noticed the itty bitty creek had flooded into a fast moving river!He had to get out of there,but with intense lightning up on a mountain he would have no shelter. He was trapped and defenseless.
The next morning,the storm had stopped and the river was a creek again. Still no choppers. He then thought of the fact that his little note at his shop saying "If I'm not back in a week,send a search party." hadn't been read,and he was right.He then had 2 choices: Try and make his way to the hunters cabbin,or die on the mountain. He chose cabbin. So together him and LD began the long trip down hill. He had a cane made out of tent poles to help him walk,and it did help.After a little while he had two choices of roads ,the top one or easier one,he chose the down hill one. WRONG WAY! He wasted a bunch of his energy just to find a big cliff. He turned around and headed back up.
Frustration began to take control.He had to crawl through a dense forest to reach the valley floor. Crawl? More like roll.With LD behind him they crawled their way under the dense plants.After reaching the end of the forest,and falling backwards with a thud,he had reached the valley floor. only one more obsticle stood in his way: a freezing cold,fast moving river.
He jumped into the river and swam for his life,literally.LD was having a great time,Matt,not so much.His energy was being sapped away very quickly,he was going to pass out if he didn't get out of the river.After minutes of horror he finally got to the other side.He then began walking again.10 minutes later he could finally see the cabbin,but in his own words he said "I will probably die before I reach the cabbin." He was wrong,he made it to the cabbin and a hunter came out to greet him. He was then air lifted to the hospital to get his leg and wrist fixed. He made a full recovery.To this day Matt Briggs and LD cannot forget their amazing adventure in the New Zealand Mountains.
The End (This is a true story.) I got the pic from Google images.
