David Cifaldi, a 32-year-old wound care nurse from Billings, Montana, was hiking with two friends on July 20 when he slipped and impaled himself on his 44-inch steel-tipped trekking pole near the summit of Granite Peak, Montana's highest mountain at 12,800 feet. The pole passed through the flesh under his left arm, missing vital organs, and protruded from his back. After a self-assessment revealing little pain or blood, Cifaldi decided against a costly helicopter rescue and opted to self-rescue with his companions, Jesse Ross and another friend.