A keen hiker and film maker was saved from serious injury by falling like a "rag doll" down a mountain on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, UK.
Erik Krasovskis was with a friend on Cuillin Ridge, a rocky, remote route near the peak Sgùrr nan Eag, when the weight of camera equipment in his backpack threw him off balance as he moved from higher to lower ground.
He was knocked unconscious and fell 115ft (35m) before coming to a stop on a small rocky ledge that saved him from falling another 164ft (50m).
A doctor has since told him that falling in this way also saved him from serious injury as he was not "fighting the fall".
"The backpack pulled me back and the next thing I knew I was rolling down 35m for about 10 to 20 seconds," Krasovskis told the BBC.
"I hit my head and I was knocked unconscious. This meant my body relaxed and I fell like a rag doll."
Two nearby climbers gave Krasovskis first aid while Skye Mountain Rescue Team worked with a coastguard helicopter and crew to help him off the mountain and to a hospital in Inverness.
Posted by skyemountainrescue on
Krasovskis had been filming on the ridge, which is a popular mountaineering route. It is challenging traverse – 7.5 miles (12km) with over 13,000ft (4,000m) ascent and descent. It can take up to 15 hours to complete in good conditions.
He and friend Zak Perdios has camped on the ridge overnight before attempting the traverse.
"I tried to stand up and I said to Zak 'I think I'm good'. I said we could try and walk down. Zak said: 'No chance. Your head is bleeding'. I hadn't realised how far I had fallen, " Krasovskis told the BBC.
"The mountain rescue team and helicopter paramedics saved my life," he said. "I have to thank them for helping me so quickly."
Krasovskis sustained a head wound and fractured fingers.
In its Facebook post, Skye Mountain Rescue revealed: "Thirteen team members responded after a climber, attempting a traverse of the ridge as part of a pair, took a tumbling fall of around 35 to 40m near Sgurr nan Eag after misjudging a handhold. He was knocked unconscious during the fall but, incredibly, stopped on a ledge just before another large drop, escaping with relatively minor injuries considering the distance he fell."
Since the fall, which happened on March 19, Krasovskis has posted photos of the trip to his Instagram account.
In the post he has not mentioned the fall. However, Zak has left a telling remark in the comments:
"An unforgettable trip for many reasons!"
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