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Pinned By A 700-Pound Boulder, Alaska Man Survives Thanks To His Wife

June 26, 2025

What started as a quiet hike near a glacier outside Seward, Alaska, turned into a life-or-death ordeal for 61-year-old Kell Morris—and an incredible story of survival, teamwork, and quick thinking.

Credit: Seward Fire Department

While exploring a rugged creek bed near Godwin Glacier, Morris was suddenly caught in what rescuers described as an “avalanche of boulders.” A 700-pound rock crashed onto his back, pinning him face down in the icy creek water. But it wasn’t the rock alone that threatened his life—it was the freezing glacial runoff he landed in.

His wife, Jo Roop, a retired Alaska State Trooper, immediately sprang into action, holding her husband's head above water to prevent him from drowning.

Jo tried to free him herself for 30 minutes, using rocks to shift the boulder, before hiking 300 yards to find cell service and call 911. Her quick actions and ability to send GPS coordinates led to a rescue mission involving multiple agencies and a stroke of luck—a nearby helicopter operated by a sled dog tour company overheard the dispatch and rushed to assist.

The rescue was anything but routine. The boulder field was too treacherous for ATVs, so firefighters had to be flown in and jumped from the hovering helicopter, as there was no safe place to land. Once on the ground, seven rescuers used inflatable airbags, ropes, and sheer strength to lift the massive boulder just enough to pull Morris out.

Morris was hypothermic and in and out of consciousness. Crews worked quickly to rewarm him and get him to safety. With no safe way to carry him down the canyon, Alaska Air National Guard Pararescue Jumpers were brought in to hoist him by helicopter to a waiting ambulance.

Miraculously, Morris was treated at Seward Providence Hospital and released with no life-threatening injuries.

"I fully anticipated a body recovery—not him walking away without a scratch on him," said Seward Fire Chief Clinton Crites.

Morris credits his survival to a combination of luck, love, and the bravery of his rescuers.

“I was very lucky. God was looking out for me. And luckier that I have such a great wife,” he reflected.

The Seward Fire Department expressed deep gratitude for the collaboration between Seward Volunteer Ambulance Corp, Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department, Seward Helicopter Tours, the Alaska State Troopers, the 176th Wing of the Air National Guard, and all involved. Without their teamwork and the availability of a private helicopter, the outcome could have been tragically different.

Seward Helicopter Tours summed it up best: “We are grateful we could support our first responders and help someone in need. So glad this story had a positive ending.”