Montana man hikes 10 miles with impaled trekking pole

David Cifaldi, a 32-year-old wound care nurse from Billings, was climbing Granite Peak in Montana when he slipped and impaled himself on his 44-inch steel-tipped trekking pole, which pierced under his left arm and protruded from his back.

The pole missed all vital organs; Cifaldi assessed his injury using his medical training and decided to hike out rather than wait for a helicopter rescue.

The group used a Garmin inReach satellite communicator to contact authorities and then hiked nearly 10 miles over six hours, descending about 5,000 feet, to safety.

Stillwater County Search and Rescue monitored the hikers' descent and respected Cifaldi's decision to decline assistance since he was alert and stable.

Cifaldi returned to work just days after surgeons removed the trekking pole and treated his wound.