Nathaniel Davison Accident - Emergency Fund
Donation protected
On July 18th, 2020, Nathaniel Davison sustained a life-threatening injury in a remote boulder field in the Colorado backcountry.
Wait...how did this happen
Climbers are strange creatures. We often move small rocks around to build flattened areas underneath the large rocks we want to climb. Then we lay our crash pads down atop the construction, making for a nice even landing zone. This day was no exception. Building landings is rewarding work, albeit ethically questionable at times, and not without risk of physical damage (usually fingers). So we want to be as transparent as possible: this accident was caused by humans meddling with the unforgiving force of geology. It's a chance we always take.
The thing that took place
While Nathaniel and his friend Wes worked on shuffling minor stones within a narrow slot, three huge boulders, balanced perilously through eons of time, were dislodged from their resting place. Wes barely escaped the rockslide with his life, and Nathaniel did too – but not before the back of his right leg was caught by one of the boulders just below the knee. Nathaniel's girlfriend Jordan, focused on a crossword puzzle in the distance, easily escaped the carnage.
The boulder smashed against another wall behind Nathaniel, leaving just enough room for him to free his leg. In a fight-or-flight moment, Nathaniel chose flight, ejecting himself off a 10-foot ledge to escape. With the instinctual grace of a longtime boulderer, he landed on his feet, then crumpled into a pile. He stood up...and everyone saw that he'd suffered numerous massive wounds to his right leg, including a compound fracture of his tibia. So it was time to lie back down for a while.
Wes and Jordan then proceeded to save Nathaniel's life. They secured his leg in a makeshift tourniquet, applied blood-clotting bandages, fired off an emergency GPS beacon, and were able to find cell service uphill to call for help. Three long hours later, a Flight for Life Helicopter appeared and landed in a nearby (and conveniently placed) meadow. But due to Nathaniel's location in the boulder field, the medics were unable to carry him back to the helicopter. Vail Mountain Rescue sent in several Search and Rescue volunteers and a National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, which transferred him to the medical chopper via hanging cable – a boy's childhood dream you might say, without the broken leg. Nathaniel was then flown to St. Anthony's hospital in Denver.
There are many ifs to account for here. If the boulder had fully pinned his leg...if it had hit his knee...if Jordan and Wes hadn't been there...if the medics had arrived any later. But there is only what is. And there are many things to be grateful for.
The recovery
Nathaniel spent two weeks in the hospital and has (so far) undergone four extensive surgeries to save his leg. He was released from the hospital on August 3rd and is now back home in Salida, Colorado with a very long road to recovery. Doctors are estimating that he won't be able to put weight on his leg for a year. More surgeries are scheduled in the coming months to piece his leg back together.
He is facing exorbitant hospital bills, the partial cost of a helicopter ride (thankfully he had helicopter insurance through Garmin, which should cover a significant portion of the cost), a $10,000 insurance deductible, the cost of many physical therapy sessions in the coming years, and several more hidden costs that will accumulate as a result of the accident. Furthermore, he will be mostly unable to work for the foreseeable future due to the extent of his injury.
Why we're asking for your support
If you know Nathaniel, you know he's the last person who would ask for help. We even had to convince him to let us create this Gofundme campaign. Not surprising.
But you probably also know what kind of person he is. He's a kind soul. He's a loyal friend, a loved son and brother, a gifted filmmaker. He doesn't really follow the rules of society. He is a leader. And he absolutely lives for exploring and climbing in the natural landscapes of this planet. We want to give him every possible opportunity to overcome this injury and return to where he belongs in his own life and in his community. And we need your help to get him there.
We realize this is a financially uncertain time for many people around the world. No matter the size of the donation, know that you're directly impacting Nathaniel's chances of making a full recovery. If you're able to him through this life-changing event, Nathaniel, his friends, and his family would be forever grateful for your support.
With love and respect,
Friends of Nathaniel Davison
Wait...how did this happen
Climbers are strange creatures. We often move small rocks around to build flattened areas underneath the large rocks we want to climb. Then we lay our crash pads down atop the construction, making for a nice even landing zone. This day was no exception. Building landings is rewarding work, albeit ethically questionable at times, and not without risk of physical damage (usually fingers). So we want to be as transparent as possible: this accident was caused by humans meddling with the unforgiving force of geology. It's a chance we always take.
The thing that took place
While Nathaniel and his friend Wes worked on shuffling minor stones within a narrow slot, three huge boulders, balanced perilously through eons of time, were dislodged from their resting place. Wes barely escaped the rockslide with his life, and Nathaniel did too – but not before the back of his right leg was caught by one of the boulders just below the knee. Nathaniel's girlfriend Jordan, focused on a crossword puzzle in the distance, easily escaped the carnage.
The boulder smashed against another wall behind Nathaniel, leaving just enough room for him to free his leg. In a fight-or-flight moment, Nathaniel chose flight, ejecting himself off a 10-foot ledge to escape. With the instinctual grace of a longtime boulderer, he landed on his feet, then crumpled into a pile. He stood up...and everyone saw that he'd suffered numerous massive wounds to his right leg, including a compound fracture of his tibia. So it was time to lie back down for a while.
Wes and Jordan then proceeded to save Nathaniel's life. They secured his leg in a makeshift tourniquet, applied blood-clotting bandages, fired off an emergency GPS beacon, and were able to find cell service uphill to call for help. Three long hours later, a Flight for Life Helicopter appeared and landed in a nearby (and conveniently placed) meadow. But due to Nathaniel's location in the boulder field, the medics were unable to carry him back to the helicopter. Vail Mountain Rescue sent in several Search and Rescue volunteers and a National Guard Blackhawk helicopter, which transferred him to the medical chopper via hanging cable – a boy's childhood dream you might say, without the broken leg. Nathaniel was then flown to St. Anthony's hospital in Denver.
There are many ifs to account for here. If the boulder had fully pinned his leg...if it had hit his knee...if Jordan and Wes hadn't been there...if the medics had arrived any later. But there is only what is. And there are many things to be grateful for.
The recovery
Nathaniel spent two weeks in the hospital and has (so far) undergone four extensive surgeries to save his leg. He was released from the hospital on August 3rd and is now back home in Salida, Colorado with a very long road to recovery. Doctors are estimating that he won't be able to put weight on his leg for a year. More surgeries are scheduled in the coming months to piece his leg back together.
He is facing exorbitant hospital bills, the partial cost of a helicopter ride (thankfully he had helicopter insurance through Garmin, which should cover a significant portion of the cost), a $10,000 insurance deductible, the cost of many physical therapy sessions in the coming years, and several more hidden costs that will accumulate as a result of the accident. Furthermore, he will be mostly unable to work for the foreseeable future due to the extent of his injury.
Why we're asking for your support
If you know Nathaniel, you know he's the last person who would ask for help. We even had to convince him to let us create this Gofundme campaign. Not surprising.
But you probably also know what kind of person he is. He's a kind soul. He's a loyal friend, a loved son and brother, a gifted filmmaker. He doesn't really follow the rules of society. He is a leader. And he absolutely lives for exploring and climbing in the natural landscapes of this planet. We want to give him every possible opportunity to overcome this injury and return to where he belongs in his own life and in his community. And we need your help to get him there.
We realize this is a financially uncertain time for many people around the world. No matter the size of the donation, know that you're directly impacting Nathaniel's chances of making a full recovery. If you're able to him through this life-changing event, Nathaniel, his friends, and his family would be forever grateful for your support.
With love and respect,
Friends of Nathaniel Davison
Co-organizers (4)
Wes Walker
Organizer
Denver, CO
Nathaniel Davison
Beneficiary
Jordan Wilkins
Co-organizer
Connor Griffith
Co-organizer
Tyrel Fuller
Co-organizer