A 60-year-old tourist sustained severe injuries after falling 120 feet into a creek in Montana's Glacier National Park on August 13. Ken Nurse was visiting the park with his wife, Renae, and family when the incident occurred near McDonald Creek Bridge around 11 a.m.
Renae Nurse reported that she had returned to their vehicle to warm up when the ground beneath her husband gave way. Ken Nurse suffered cracked ribs, a compound elbow fracture, and fluid in his lungs from the fall. A park spokesperson confirmed that dispatch received reports of a man falling into the creek at approximately 11:20 a.m.
A bystander, later identified as Josh Seppelt, witnessed Nurse facedown in the water and entered the creek to pull him to a shallow area. Seppelt then began administering CPR until Nurse regained breathing. "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 NonStop Local. "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."
Park rangers arrived and stabilized Nurse before emergency responders were called to airlift him from the park. Rob Cherot, assistant chief pilot for Two Bear Air Rescue, who piloted the helicopter that extracted Nurse, noted that the area near the creek was "slippery rock." Nurse was reportedly responsive but disoriented when he was hoisted aboard the rescue helicopter.
An ALERT medical helicopter was unable to land due to the terrain. Nurse was carried approximately a quarter of a mile to the ALERT aircraft on the shore of Lake McDonald. He was then transported to Logan Health Medical Center, where he spent two days on a ventilator. Nurse regained consciousness two days after the incident and is currently recovering.
Cherot emphasized the critical role of the bystander, stating, "Our part with bringing a helicopter and hoisting somebody down to the water and all - that’s the kind of glamor, dramatic, cool-looking stuff. But we did the easy part. The guy that made the decision to jump in the water and save the guy, that's the hero."
Ken Nurse expressed gratitude for his rescue, telling NonStop Local, "I should not be here and I’m going to do whatever I can to deserve this. I owe everyone my life and I want that to be known."
Renae Nurse indicated that the family plans to return to Glacier National Park, describing it as her "happy place." She also shared on Facebook that she and Ken would be flying home on Friday, expressing profound gratitude for his survival. "I am beyond grateful that he will be flying home with me tomorrow. I can't imagine doing this life without him," she wrote.