Hiker IMPALES himself in freak accident on side of a mountain - then walked 10 more miles to avoid getting ambulance bill

Published: 05:26, 29 July 2026 | Updated: 05:29, 29 July 2026 A 32-year-old nurse was impaled in a freak accident on Montana's tallest mountain before hiking 10 miles back down to get help.  David Cifaldi was scaling Granite Peak with two friends on July 20 when he lost his footing on the rocky terrain and fell onto his trekking pole.  'It was just kind of a freak thing, something you’d more expect to roll your ankle versus having a catastrophic injury,' Cifaldi told KTMF.  'As I rolled over, I noticed one of my trekking poles laying on the ground, and as I kind of sat up, I realized that the other one was stuck in my side,' he added. The pole drove completely through Cifaldi's side, piercing his lat and sticking out both ends, with roughly eight inches separating the two wounds, according to a GoFundMe created by his friend. Cifaldi's ER nurse training kicked in, as he self-assessed his wound and took a few quick breaths to see if the pole pierced his lung or chest. 'No bleeding, full feeling, no lightheadedness, nothing vital hit, and the pole was stable in place.  'Given his condition, he made the call to self-rescue rather than wait for extraction — hiking 10 miles back to the trailhead with a trekking pole still through his body,' his GoFundMe stated. David Cifaldi was scaling Granite Peak with two friends on July 20 when he lost his footing on the rocky terrain and fell onto his trekking pole The pole drove completely through Cifaldi's side, piercing his lat and sticking out both ends, with roughly eight inches separating the two wounds Cifaldi navigated the rugged mountain descent with the help of his two pals, while the pole remained lodged in his body.  The nurse fashioned his running vest's chest strap into a makeshift sling, while one friend stayed behind him to keep an eye on any bleeding. As the grueling hike wore on, Cifaldi told Backpacker magazine the trio realized they were 'gonna make it' and broke the tension by 'making kebab jokes.'  Cifaldi's hiking buddy, Jesse Ross, wrote on the GoFundMe that the group 'reached the trailhead entirely under his own power — never once complaining, staying in remarkably high spirits.' 'Near Mystic Lake, he even asked one of us to hike ahead and warn other hikers, so no children would have to see the wound,' Ross wrote. The three friends reached the trailhead after six-and-a-half hours, and Cifaldi was taken to a hospital before being transferred to Intermountain Health in Billings, KTMF reported. Doctors later removed the trekking pole without complications.  Cifaldi chose to hike 10 miles back to the trailhead, navigating the rugged mountain with the help of his two pals while the pole remained lodged in his body Cifaldi posing in previous photo of him hiking, he is still recovering and may need more surgery Cifaldi hiking with his dog, after trekking down 10 miles he taken to a hospital before being transferred to Intermountain Health in Billings 'All told, [the pole] was in place for eight to nine hours from the fall to removal,' the GoFundMe read. Cifaldi is still recovering and may need more surgery. Reflecting on the harrowing accident, he told the outlet he feels 'very lucky.' 'A couple inches the other way, and this would be a different story,' the nurse said. The GoFundMe was created to help Cifaldi with medical expenses.  Towering 12,807 ft in Montana's Beartooth Mountains, Granite Peak is the state's highest summit and one of the nation's most challenging state high points, known for its rugged terrain, technical climbing and unpredictable weather.