I was alone, in the middle of a three week trek through King's Canyon Park in California and in high spirits when everything went completely wrong. Suddenly, the land started to crumble beneath me and I fell 18 meters down a hillside. I landed with such force that I broke both of my legs and I was in incredible pain. What had been an enjoyable walk through the park was now a huge crisis.
I could not walk or move my legs at all. The end of the trail was 40 kilometers away and I knew not many people were in the park during this time of year. Also, my family and friends did not expect me back for another ten days. I was very concerned and thought about giving up, but I did not want to end up dying at the bottom of this hill. I took a deep breath, cleared my mind, and tried to keep a positive attitude.
I managed to drag myself back to the trail with just my arms my goal was to move as much as I could and then take short breaks. During the breaks, I could shout for help. After what seemed like a lifetime of moving and shouting, I heard the familiar sound of a human voice answering my cries for help -- it was another hiker I explained what had happened and he ran for help. Seven hours later, I was rescued.
What had been an enjoyable walk through the park was now a huge crisis.
After what seemed like a lifetime of moving and shouting, I heard the familiar sound of a human voice answering my cries for help.