An Arizona mountaineer saw his life flash before his eyes after he fell 700-feet from Mount Hood in July. Despite his injuries, he plans to tackle the mountain again.
55-year-old Chris Zwierzynski ended up tumbling down Oregon's Mount Hood. The incident happened on July 6. Since then, the mountaineer has faced a long and grueling recovery period. Doctors consider his survival a miracle.
"This doesn't happen to everybody," Zwierzynski told Channel 12 News in Arizona. "Most of the doctors that I talk to — and my friends, my family — everyone's using the word 'miracle,' like I'm some kind of miracle for having survived this fall. Maybe I am."
Upon turning 50, Zwierzynski decided to tackle the highest peaks in each state, saying he wanted to do so while he was still fit enough. "I want to do that while I'm still young," he said. But Mount Hood nearly claimed his life. The mountaineer needed an airlift after falling more than 700 feet. He ended up spending four days in ICU with broken ribs, a broken leg, and a mangled face.
"His eyes were swollen shut, [his] eye sockets were broken," his wife Laurie also told the station. "His nose was broken in two places. He had two brain bleeds and a concussion."
Mountaineer Has Long Road To Recovery
Zwierzynski said his thoughts turned to his family while in the hospital bed. He couldn't imagine what they were going through as he lay there.
"I was in shock," she said. "I didn't know what happened, I didn't know what's going on, and the only thing I could do was pray and trust that God had this and keep going forward."
Laurie is counting her blessings. She said she is thankful that the mountaineer didn't end up brain dead or worse. "He could have been brain-dead, he could have been paralyzed, he could have [gotten] amnesia," Laurie said. "All different things could have happened that didn't. And I praise God for that every day."
Zwierzynsk is already pushing himself to heal and to recover.
"I was putting goals on myself as I was laying in the hospital room," he said. "I'm gonna be discharged on Monday, I'm gonna be walking on this day, I'm gonna be getting up and doing this on this day... These things all happened — just don't give up. Your body is strong enough to endure."
He wants to tackle the mountain when he gets better.
"I'll probably contact one of the guides and have them go with me, just so I don't tempt fate," Zwierzynski said. "But I think it definitely is doable."
