Boy, 13, Keeps Father Alive After He’s Badly Hurt by Falling Boulder

A 13-year-old is being called a hero after a father-son hiking trip took a frightening turn.

“If the boulder had landed on me, I’d be dead for sure,” says David Finlayson.

Finlayson was on a father son trip in a part of Idaho with the ominous name “River of No Return Wilderness” when everything changed in an instant.

“I was hanging off a cliff and I thought I was going to bleed out,” says Finlayson.

A boulder the size of a refrigerator broke loose-hitting the 52 year old and sending him careening 30 feet down the mountain, knocking him unconscious, breaking his back, left arm and heel-and gashing his leg through to the bone. Lucky for dad his son was nearby to help.

“It was definitely scary at first but then I thought I should stay calm and make sure he was ok,” says 13 year old Charles Finlayson.

For two and a half days his 13 year old Charlie, an experienced boy scout, took care of his dad by himself. Dressing his wounds, keeping him calm and hydrated. However with the nearest ranger 13 miles away, there was no way to get him out.

Desperate, his dad made the decision to send charlie for help, with this note explaining what happened and how to find him, signed with a simple “Thank you for your help.”

“Mostly I was scared I wasn’t going to find anybody,” says Charlie.

Charlie says anyone else would have reacted the same way-but his proud father, isn’t so sure.

“Obviously, he saved my life.” said Finlayson.