Alaska Man Survives 700-Pound Boulder Trap Thanks to Wife’s Heroics and Daring Rescue

In a heart-stopping ordeal near Seward, Alaska, 61-year-old Kell Morris survived being trapped face-down under a 700-pound boulder in a glacier-fed creek, thanks to his wife’s quick thinking and a daring rescue. The incident unfolded last Saturday on a rugged, isolated trail near Godwin Glacier, where Morris, hiking with his wife Jo Roop, found himself pinned in icy water after a cascade of boulders gave way.

Jo Roop, a retired Alaska State Trooper, heroically held her husband’s head above water to prevent drowning. For three grueling hours, Morris battled hypothermia and fading consciousness. Roop, drawing on her law enforcement experience, tirelessly attempted to free him before racing to find a cell signal, sending precise GPS coordinates to summon help.

The Seward Fire Department, aided by a volunteer from Seward Helicopter Tours, mounted a dramatic rescue. Firefighters were air-dropped into the boulder-strewn terrain, as the helicopter couldn’t land. Using air bags, ropes, and sheer strength, the team lifted the massive rock just enough to free Morris. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he’s now expected to make a full recovery.

Morris, who moved to Seward from Idaho last fall, later told reporters, “I was very lucky. God was looking out for me.” The trail, a rocky creek bed littered with glacier-deposited boulders, posed unseen dangers that turned a routine hike into a life-or-death struggle.