A family trip to one of America’s most breathtaking national parks nearly turned fatal when a tourist fell 120 feet while reaching for a better view.
In a result bordering on miraculous, he survived [1] after a nearby stranger rushed into action and helped pull him from the water.
Ken Nurse, a 60 year old Montana native who now lives in North Carolina, was visiting Glacier National Park last Thursday with his wife, Renae, and other family members.
The outing changed in seconds near McDonald Falls, where steep terrain and rushing water created a deadly combination.
Nurse had already taken photographs of the falls but moved closer in hopes of capturing a better view of the water.
The ground beneath him suddenly gave way, sending him tumbling 120 feet down the cliff and into the creek below.
His wife was back at the family’s vehicle when the fall occurred, leaving others nearby to witness the terrifying scene.
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Among them was Josh Seppelt, a Navy electrician from Pierz, Minnesota, who heard the commotion and responded without hesitation.
“The gentleman’s daughter said, ‘Dad, there’s somebody in the water.’ And the guy was able to pull Ken out by his foot and get into the shallows,” Renae told KTMF.
Seppelt managed to move Nurse into a shallower section of the creek, where he quickly realized the injured man was not breathing.
There was no time for second guessing or waiting around for somebody else to take responsibility.
“And he realized he wasn’t breathing, and he started CPR.
And it just so happened there was a ranger that was real close by, and he was able to radio in for an extraction,’” said the injured man’s wife.
Renae raced back from the vehicle as the emergency unfolded and soon learned just how serious the situation had become.
Her professional experience as a nurse made the news even more frightening because she understood exactly what CPR meant about her husband’s condition.
The good Samaritan “told me he gave CPR. And that’s when I really panicked,” she said.
“Because I’m a nurse by profession. So, I knew it was a really bad then.”
Search and rescue personnel airlifted Nurse to a nearby hospital, where doctors placed him on a ventilator for two days.
He suffered several cracked ribs, a compound elbow fracture, and fluid in his lungs from the brutal fall and time spent in the creek.
Despite those severe injuries, Nurse made enough progress to leave intensive care by Sunday.
He still expects to undergo additional surgery, but considering the distance he fell and the fact that he stopped breathing, leaving intensive care was an extraordinary step forward.
“I’m doing pretty good considering,” Nurse told KTMF.
“It’s just one step at a time, but I shouldn’t be here and I’m going to do whatever I can to deserve this.”
The ordeal delivered a sharp reminder that beautiful wilderness can turn dangerous without warning.
A perfect picture is never worth gambling with unstable ground, especially around cliffs and fast moving water where one misplaced step can become a fight for survival.
With Nurse safe and recovering, Renae has found room for a little humor about a place she still considers spectacular.
She said she loves the area because “it is so peaceful and it is so beautiful and it just takes your breath away every time. Here, it actually took my husband’s breath this time but they gave it back.”
Her gratitude remains focused on Seppelt, the stranger who acted when every second mattered.
She said he “courageously jumped in and saved Ken’s life.”
Seppelt’s response was the kind of ordinary American heroism that rarely comes with warning, preparation, or applause.
He heard trouble, moved toward it, and helped keep another man alive until professional rescuers could take over.
“I am beyond grateful that he [Ken] will be flying home with me tomorrow,” Renae said.
“I can’t imagine doing this life without him.”