THE father of a teen who fell off a 120-foot cliff gave a major update on his son’s ‘giant’ health milestone.
Zane Wach, 14, has been in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator since June 10, following a fall from a cliff attributed to altitude sickness.
While attempting to ascend Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the U.S. located in Northern California, with his father, Zane started hallucinating, which led to his fall.
On June 26, Zane’s dad, Ryan, posted a significant update on the teen’s physical health following the traumatic accident.
“I’ll be brief today as it was a big day but very hard,” Ryan wrote on Facebook.
“Zane had the breathing tube removed and taken off the [ventilator]. This was a giant milestone and opens the door to many new steps forward.
“Currently, the primary concern is monitoring his ability to breathe independently, alongside ensuring he can cough and swallow effectively.”
However, Ryan said it’s not all positive news.
“The hard part is that he is well into feeling the effects of withdrawal,” he continued.
“He’s been on a lot of heavy drugs for a while and getting off those is extremely hard and painful.
“As parents, it’s terrible to watch. We hope he gets through this with the least possible suffering.”
Ryan and Zane were 19 hours into their hike when Zane began to exhibit signs of altitude sickness, NBC affiliate KSNV reported.
Zane’s symptoms became increasingly worse as he started to “doubt their reality” when they began their descent.
“He started to experience some hallucinations,” Ryan told SFGATE.
“He knew he was hallucinating. He said he saw things like snowmen and Kermit the Frog.”
“He told me he couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or not,” the dad continued.
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.
“And he would shake his head in disbelief, like, ‘This is not real.’ Like he was in the movie Inception or something.”
Zane’s hallucinations continued to worsen, leading him to walk off the 120-foot cliff.
Ryan ran to his son’s aide along with an EMS worker who they had passed along the trail.
They waited for six hours until emergency services were able to rescue them via helicopter.
Zane suffered several significant injuries, including head trauma, a broken ankle, a broken finger, and a partially broken pelvis, People reported.
“It’s going to be a survival story in the end, but right now we’re still in the middle of it,” Ryan said.
So far, the family has raised $37,447 out of their $40,000 goal on GoFundMe.
