Aron Ralston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aron Ralston
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Ralston on Capitol Peak in February 2003
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| Born |
Aron Lee Ralston
October 27, 1975 |
| Alma mater | Carnegie Mellon University (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Known for | Surviving a canyoneering accident by cutting off part of his own right arm |
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Notable work
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place |
| Spouse(s) |
Jessica Trusty
(m. 2009; div. 2012) |
| Partner(s) | Vita Shannon (2012–2013) |
| Children | 2 |
Aron Lee Ralston (born October 27, 1975) is an American mountaineer, mechanical engineer, and motivational speaker. He is famous for surviving a serious canyoneering accident by cutting off part of his own right arm.
On April 26, 2003, while exploring Bluejohn Canyon in southeastern Utah, a large rock fell and pinned his right wrist against the canyon wall. After five days, he had to break his forearm and use a dull pocket knife to cut it off. This allowed him to escape. He then made his way through the rest of the canyon, rappelled down a 65-foot (20-meter) drop, and hiked 7 miles (11 kilometers) to safety.
Aron Ralston wrote about his experience in his book Between a Rock and a Hard Place. His story was also made into the 2010 movie 127 Hours, where actor James Franco played him.
After his accident, he continued to climb mountains. He even became the first person to climb all of Colorado's 59 highest peaks (called "fourteeners") alone in winter.
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Early Life and Adventures
Aron Ralston was born on October 27, 1975, in Marion, Ohio. When he was 12, his family moved to Denver. There, he learned to ski and backpack. He later went to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He earned degrees in mechanical engineering and French, and also studied piano. During summers, he worked as a rafting guide.
After college, Ralston worked as a mechanical engineer for Intel for five years. However, he felt tired of working for a big company. He had already developed strong skills in mountaineering. In 2002, he decided to quit his job to focus on climbing mountains. He moved to Aspen, Colorado to be closer to the mountains he loved.
Ralston set a goal to climb all of Colorado's "fourteeners" alone during winter. These are peaks that are over 14,000 feet (4,267 meters) high. No one had ever done this before. In 2003, he was caught in a large avalanche with his skiing friends. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt. But this event made him think more carefully about taking risks.
The Canyoneering Accident
On the afternoon of April 26, 2003, Aron Ralston was exploring Bluejohn Canyon by himself. This canyon is in eastern Utah, near Canyonlands National Park. As he was climbing down a narrow part of the canyon, a large boulder shifted. It first hit his left hand, then crushed his right hand against the canyon wall. Ralston was trapped. He had not told anyone where he was going, and he had no way to call for help.
He thought he might die there. For five days, he slowly drank his small amount of water and ate his two burritos. He tried again and again to pull his arm free, but the 800-pound (360-kilogram) rock was too heavy. After three days, he was very tired and confused. He realized he might have to cut off his arm to escape. He tried to make small cuts, but his tools were not strong enough to cut through bone.
On the fifth day, he ran out of food and water. He even drank his own urine to survive. He carved his name, birth date, and the date he thought he would die into the sandstone wall. He also recorded goodbye messages to his family. He didn't expect to live through the night. But as he tried to stay warm, he started to see things that weren't there. He had a vision of himself playing with a future child, and in this vision, he was missing part of his right arm. Ralston said this vision gave him hope that he would live.
When he woke up the next morning, he saw that his arm had started to lose circulation. He felt desperate to get free. He used his multi-tool to cut off his forearm. The painful process took about an hour.
After freeing himself, Ralston climbed out of the canyon. He then rappelled down a 65-foot (20-meter) sheer rock face. He was 8 miles (13 kilometers) away from his car and had no phone. After hiking for about 6 miles (10 kilometers), he met a family from the Netherlands. They gave him food and water and quickly went to get help. Ralston had lost a lot of blood and about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of weight. Rescuers, who had been alerted by his family, found him by helicopter. He was rescued about four hours after cutting off his arm.
Ralston later said that if he had cut off his arm earlier, he would have bled to death before being found. If he hadn't done it, he would have been found dead in the canyon days later.
Park authorities later removed his hand and forearm from under the boulder. It took 13 men, a winch, and a hydraulic jack to move the rock. His arm was then cremated, and the ashes were given to Ralston. Six months later, on his 28th birthday, he returned to the accident spot with a camera crew for a TV special. He scattered the ashes of his arm there, saying that was where they belonged.
Life After the Accident
After his accident, Aron Ralston appeared in many news stories and TV shows. He was on the Late Show with David Letterman and featured in magazines like GQ and Vanity Fair.
Ralston wrote a book about his experience called Between a Rock and a Hard Place. It was published in September 2004 and became a best-seller. His story was also shown in a two-hour TV special called "Desperate Days in Blue John Canyon."
He has appeared on many other TV shows, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He also spoke on radio programs, describing his ordeal as "six days of terror and horror."
After he recovered, Ralston continued to climb mountains. In 2005, he climbed Aconcagua, a very high peak. In 2008, he climbed Ojos del Salado in Chile and Monte Pissis in Argentina. In 2005, he finished his goal of climbing all 59 of Colorado's "fourteeners" alone in winter. He had started this project in 1997 and continued it after his accident.
Ralston later realized that surviving the canyon had made him feel too strong, when it should have made him more humble. He has since tried to focus less on seeking adventure just to prove himself.
In August 2009, Ralston married Jessica Trusty. They had a child in February 2010, but they later divorced in 2012.
In 2011, Ralston was a contestant on the TV show Minute To Win It, where he won money for a wilderness organization. He also made a small appearance on The Simpsons and gave a speech at Carnegie Mellon University.
Public Speaking
Aron Ralston is also a popular speaker for companies and events. He gives speeches about his experience and how he "lost his hand, but gained his life back."
127 Hours Film
British film director Danny Boyle made a movie called 127 Hours about Aron Ralston's accident. Filming took place in 2010, and the movie was released in November 2010. Actor James Franco played Aron Ralston in the film.
The movie was very popular and received great reviews from critics. It even got standing ovations at film festivals. Some audience members fainted during the scene where Ralston cuts off his arm because it was so intense.
At the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011, 127 Hours was nominated for six Oscars. These included Best Picture and Best Actor for James Franco.
Ralston himself said that the movie is "so factually accurate it is as close to a documentary as you can get and still be a drama." He also joked that he thought it was "the best film ever made."
See also
In Spanish: Aron Ralston para niños
