An incredibly heartbreaking tragedy occurred while a father and son duo were on a hike meant to be a special moment in their lives.
The exciting new occasion turned to horror as events unfolded, which landed the teenager in a hospital.
Keep reading to learn more.
14-year-old Zane Wach from California was put in a medically induced coma after walking off a 120-foot cliff. While the teenager has been taken off the ventilator, his road to recovery is not over yet.
Last month, in June, Zane and his father, Ryan Wach, were climbing Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The two were hiking up the mountain when Zane began to experience hallucinations. According to his father, he said he could see, “snowmen and Kermit the Frog.” His father later told the media, “He essentially started to doubt reality. Like he was in the movie ‘Inception’ or something.”
Doctors believe the teenager suffered from altitude sickness. Just moments after he said to his father that he was unsure whether he was dreaming, he walked off a ledge and fell 120 feet down a rocky slope.
His father, in that moment had turned to wipe tears from his eyes. When he looked up and tried to reach for his son, it was already too late.
The teen boy was rescued after six hours and airlifted to the Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, which was the nearest place for them.
Doctors shared how the child surviving without more serious injuries was “fairly miraculous.”
The boy had been on heavy drugs since his accident, and now as doctors wean him off the medication, he is going through ‘painful’ withdrawal symptoms.
“He’s been on a lot of heavy drugs,” his father, Ryan wrote. “Getting off those is extremely hard and painful. As parents it’s terrible to watch.”
His community is rallying around him. Key News Network journalist Austin Dave posted a video of the Hart High School swim team, where Zane was a swimmer, junior coach and teammate, making cards and sharing notes of encouragement for him and his recovery.
“Zane, we are thinking of you. We are rooting for you. We know you will get through this. We are here to support you. Your teammates are here, whether it be the Hart Swim team or the 002 Sharks. We will be waiting for you. We know you will come back stronger than ever,” said Hart Swim parent board president, Linda Ortega.
The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign which has so far then raised over $36,000 of the $40,000 goal.
