From mountain adventure to near-death ordeal: hiker saved from 6600lb rock-trap after friend's heroic act

In December, two tourists, Kevin DePaolo and Joshua Nelson, began exploring the mountain trails in the Inyo County of California. They were in search of fascinating rocks and minerals until they encountered a near-fatal accident they would never forget.

DePaolo, currently recovering in a hospital, recounted his harrowing experience to The New York Times. He mentioned that there were no indicators of the imminent danger at the outset of their mountain adventure.

While digging in the sand, a gigantic overhanging rock unexpectedly shifted, pinning him to the hill's side. DePaolo was trapped helplessly.

Joshua Nelson energetically managed to fight the rock pinning Kevin's legs with a pickaxe, sufficiently freeing him to contact the rescue services.

Rescue crews arrived on the site after sundown. They used a system of ropes and pulleys to shift the crushing boulder just enough to liberate DePaolo. Following a prolonged and painstaking rescue effort, DePaolo was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Fresno.

According to the attending physicians, DePaolo suffered a pelvis injury with two fractures and a severed femoral artery in his left leg. He sustained nerve damage but thankfully, his leg bones were unbroken. They forecast that he'll likely regain his ability to walk in a few months.

The protagonist of this dramatic incident admits he had resigned to a tragic end. "I thought I was going to die there," DePaolo confessed. He had even instructed his friend to contact his mother and relay his final words.