A DAD has revealed the disturbing final words his son said to him before walking off a 120-foot cliff during a mountain hike.
Zane Wach, 14, was on his way back after summiting California’s Mount Whitney with his dad Ryan when he began saying alarming things.
Mr Ryan revealed that his son started to feel the effects of altitude sickness and started hallucinating.
He mentioned that Zane, who is currently in a coma, expressed that he “couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or not,” and recounted seeing “snowmen” and “Kermit the frog”.
It all began on June 10 when the father-son duo reached the 14,505-foot peak of California‘s Mount Whitney – the tallest in the continental US.
But as they both began descending, Zane started feeling sick and began saying alarming things before walking off the cliff.
Dad Ryan told SFGate: “[Zane] started to experience some hallucinations.
“He said there was a snowman down there, and that he could see Kermit the Frog near a green lake in the distance.”
As Zane’s mental state got worse, he could not distinguish between dream and reality, the dad said.
Mr Ryan added: “I’ve never seen anything like it.
“He wasn’t making sudden movements, but it was like he was sleepwalking. I didn’t trust what he might do.
“He told me he couldn’t tell if he was dreaming.
“He’d shake his head and say, ‘This isn’t real… I don’t think this is really happening.’
“Like he was stuck in the movie Inception.”
Zane then wandered off the trail and plummeted over the side of the steep granite cliff.
And the tragic fall left Zane with a traumatic brain injury.
Mr Ryan said he could not stop his son from walking off the cliff as he was out of his reach.
He said: “It was in the direction of the ledge. He thought it was right there, like the hike was over.
“I wiped my eyes for a second, and when I looked up, he was already 10 feet away.
“I reached out – but I couldn’t get to him. And then he was gone.”
What is altitude sickness?
Altitude sickness, also known as mountain sickness, is an illness that can affect individuals who travel to high elevations too quickly.
It is caused by the lower oxygen levels and reduced air pressure at high altitudes, which the body has not had time to adjust to.
The symptoms of altitude sickness can range from mild to severe and often resemble a hangover.
Common initial symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping. T
These symptoms typically appear within a day of being at a high altitude.
According to doctors, besides altitude sickness, Zane was likely experiencing a dangerous mix of dehydration and sleep deprivation, as reported by DailyMail.
During the summit, Zane even claimed they had completed the hike “multiple times,” indicating his difficulty in separating dreams from reality.
Dad Ryan said: “He was aware of it, which of course worried me, but he was still able to explain what was happening,
“I thought it’ll pass.”
He revealed that his 5’9′ son was in peak physical condition before the summit – and had no history of mental health issues.
After the tragic fall, Ryan rushed to the bottom of the cliff, fearing his son may have died from the impact.
He said: “I didn’t see how there would be a way for him to survive it. I thought he was gone.”
But the dad felt relieved when he realised his son showed signs of life.
An emergency helicopter was scrambled and Zane was rushed to the hospital, where he now remains in medical-induced coma.
Doctors say his only other injuries were a broken ankle, a fractured finger, and a fractured section of his pelvis.
Ryan said: “It is a miracle, it could have been so much worse.”
The dad launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover the cost of Zane’s medical expenses. He has so far raised $21,000.
He added: “He’s improving, but he still has a long way to go.
“This is a survival story and not a tragedy.”
