My Story of Midwest Resilience

December 31, 2023, while hiking with my girlfriend and her family at the Temperance River state park, I survived a serious hiking accident.

I fell from a 70' cliff into an icy ravine, and pulled myself out of the water and onto an icy rock to wait for help. This photo is from a couple hours before the accident, and my top layer was the Winter Veteran hoodie which I still have today.

It was damn. cold. I survived with a variety of injuries, including hypothermia, a concussion, some cuts, and a couple broken bones.

I would not be here today if it wasn't for the heroes of Lutsen Fire and Rescue! Nine months after the accident, I had the honor of meeting up with the team who saved my life at their annual fundraiser. There's no way to thank them all enough for their effort that day!