Back in '98,
an old buddy of mine convinced me to join him on a camping trip.
It had been years since my last camping experience,
but I eagerly agreed, anticipating a fun adventure.
The excitement kept me restless the night before,
and my friend picked me up early at 5 am as planned.
We embarked on a 100-mile journey to the park, where we would begin our camping escapade.
Despite the lack of sleep, I managed to doze off during the drive, feeling slightly more refreshed upon arrival. However, my enthusiasm soon dwindled
when my friend revealed that we had to hike another two hours to reach the campsite.
I tried persuading him to choose a closer spot, but he insisted I would love it once we arrived.
With a heavy heart, I followed his lead.
The first half-hour of the hike was manageable, mostly downhill.
However, as time passed, my energy waned.
Halfway through, we took a brief break, quickly resuming our trek before I could fully recharge.
The second leg was an uphill battle, and my fatigue grew with every step.
Lost in exhaustion, I failed to pay attention to my surroundings.
Eventually, we reached a flat section, bringing a sense of relief.
My friend was leading the way, oblivious to a hidden trap,
and unfortunately, I fell right into it.
One moment, I was trudging along, and the next, I found myself crashing to the ground.
The impact of hitting the bottom of the hole jolted me awake, and adrenaline numbed most of the pain.
As I stood up, my right leg buckled, causing me to collapse onto a sharpened stick protruding from below.
It turned out that the hole contained several more stakes, but fortunately, they had fallen over.
Staring upwards, all I could see was the blue sky framed by trees.
The hole seemed to be at least ten feet deep, if not more.
The culprits who dug this must have spent days on it.
I called out to my friend, but instead of concern, I saw his laughing face peering over the edge.
He didn't realize the severity of my injuries at first,
but as soon as I informed him, panic replaced his laughter.
He explained that it appeared to be a bear trap set by some local hunters, and I had unwittingly stumbled into it.
Assuming that he could simply reach down and pull me out,
we soon realized it wasn't that simple.
He attempted to reach me with a tree limb, which worked momentarily,
but the excruciating pain prevented me from standing up.
I couldn't put any weight on my right leg.
It became clear that I wouldn't be able to escape the hole without external assistance.
Thankfully, it was still early in the day, so I wasn't overly concerned.
My friend paced anxiously above, while I maintained a calm voice, urging him to seek help.
The ranger station lay just over an hour away from our starting point,
and he could easily gather assistance and return to me well before nightfall.
Once he departed, I was left alone, with nothing but the pain to keep me company.
Waves of agony washed over me, accompanied by bouts of nausea.
Attempting to fashion a splint seemed futile, as any pressure on my leg caused me to nearly faint.
So, I opted to leave it alone and endure the pain.
With my head between my knees, I waited for the nausea and dizziness to subside.
As time passed, I tried to distract myself.
Singing helped for a while, but then the sound of thunder caught my attention.
I noticed the sky darkening above,
and within moments, the rain poured down heavily.
Initially, I thought a little rain wouldn't be a problem,
but my circumstances quickly proved me wrong.
The hole began filling with water, and soon my feet were submerged.
With mounting panic, I clawed my way up the wall,
standing as best I could, and prayed for the rain to cease.
Minutes turned into an hour, and the storm finally started to let up, allowing a moment of relief.
The water level had reached just below my waist,
and I knew that if the rain continued at that rate, help would arrive before it became life-threatening.
However, it was merely a temporary respite,
as the rain resumed pouring down once again.
Despite the dire situation, the rain at least diverted my attention from the leg pain.
I tried to maintain a positive outlook, recalling funny jokes and favorite movies.
The next hour felt like an eternity, but finally, help arrived.
The rain had nearly stopped, and when they pulled me out of the hole,
the water was only at my beltline.
The thought of potentially drowning in that isolated pit still gives me chills.
Once I was out, the ride to the hospital passed in a blur.
I underwent surgery, receiving screws and plates to aid in my recovery.
And Afterward,
I was allowed to go home
Again ..
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