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reached for a rock, but it was loose which caused him to fall 200 feet.
His helmet, which was destroyed, helped save his life.
“I was conscious the whole time,” describes Campbell. “Nick was
able to call 911 and there was a search and rescue training mission in
the area. I was transported in a special air ambulance and treated on
the road before getting to Kamloops.”
While at Royal Inland Hospital, he suffered post-surgery compli-
cations and his “entire digestive system shut down.” His stomach
swelled to five times its regular size and his hemoglobin dropped
significantly. According to Campbell, his doctor told him that it was
one of the few such instances they’ve seen in 30 years.
Campbell notes the silver lining though saying that during the
trip, he reconnected with friends with whom he had lost touch. His
father f lew in from Thailand, his brother from West Africa, and the
family was by his side throughout his time in hospital. Campbell
also recognized the tremendous support he has received from the
running community. His social media posts have been inundated
with well wishes.
Still though, he realizes how close he came to being paralyzed or
dead. “It was a matter of inches,” he says. “I could have fallen on a
different rock, the search and rescue team could have been delayed.”
In addition to having Elson and Jones nearby, certain pieces of gear
helped save his life including a helmet, emergency beacon, bivvy sack
and a jacket to keep warm.
The Alberta resident says that, as a physical person himself, one
of the toughest parts has been having physical capabilities be taken
away. “You feel this sense of vulnerability,” says Campbell. During
his hospital stay, Campbell did lots of writing and drawing, which
he describes was very in the moment and a way to release some of the
emotions he was feeling.
“I have had a strange relationship with vulnerability most of my
adult life, ignoring it, denying its existence within me, fearing that
it will hold me back from exploring my physical limits and suffering
emotionally for that denial because it is inherently dishonest,”
Campbell wrote on Instagram. Outlining the emotions he felt in the
hospital including being mentally drained, confined to a hospital
room, and celebrating each small victory as if it were a milestone, he
admits, “I am my vulnerabilities.”
The Rogers Pass trip was the first time he has travelled with Jones
and Elson and Campbell recognizes how vital they were in getting
him to safety. “ They were such rock stars,” Campbell says. “So
knowledgeable and calm throughout the process. They knew exactly
what to do.”
“ The short-term goals include setting myself up at home,” Campbell
says of what’s next. “I’ve been recovering well but not sure what that
means long-term. I’m taking any pressure off the table and let it come
day by day.”–THAdam Campbell’s gripping recollection
of his near-death climbing accident
Canadian trail runner Adam Campbell recounts his harrowing fall at
Rogers Pass in the Selkirk Mountains that nearly cost him his life.
A
ccomplished trail and mountain runner Adam Campbell is on
the road to recovery after a near-death rock climbing accident
on the Selkirk Mountains on Aug. 30. The 37-year-old was out in
Rogers Pass in British Columbia with friends (and elite ultrarunners)
Dakota Jones and Nick Elson, who helped save his life.
Campbell broke his pelvis and spine at the T8-T11 vertebrae and
suffered “severe lacerations and soft tissue injuries,” which required
eight hours of surgery to repair. The three were covering 1 4 peaks
through Rogers Pass in “fast style,” meaning that the trio were
relatively light on gear. As Campbell was scrambling up an area he
14 Canadian Running November & December 2016, Volume 9, Issue 7
Courtesy Adam Campbellnews