Man hikes out of mountains to get help after getting impaled by a trekking pole

David Cifaldi, a 32-year-old nurse, impaled himself on a 44-inch steel-tipped trekking pole while climbing Montana's highest peak, Granite Peak, and the pole passed through his flesh beneath his left arm and protruded from his back.

After assessing himself and considering the high cost of a helicopter rescue, Cifaldi decided to self-rescue with his two hiking companions.

The group used a Garmin inReach satellite device to contact local authorities and inform them of their plan, then descended the mountain for over six hours, traveling about 16 kilometres and descending roughly 1,500 metres.

They reached a vehicle at a trailhead, drove to a clinic and then a hospital, where doctors removed the pole, and Cifaldi returned to work.

Cifaldi's friend Jesse Ross said his confidence made the self-rescue possible, and Stillwater County Search and Rescue team commander Ty Williams monitored their progress.