A 41-year-old father of two had to be put on a ventilator after miraculously surviving being trapped in a 15-foot-deep ravine for several nights without food.
Ian Goodsell, who lives on the Big Island of Hawaii, was crossing an old bridge near a forest off Kamaili Road when it collapsed beneath him. KITV reported.
“He fell into a ravine about 15 feet deep and was there for three nights,” said Garrett Goodsell, Ian’s brother.
Based on what they’ve heard so far, the family believes Goodsell managed to survive so long by wearing a tank top to soak up all the water available to drink. His brother also believes he stayed strong for the sake of his two children.
“He has two young children and I think he just held on to the idea of them not knowing that their father died in a ditch. I think he just held on to the love for his children and that kept him alive long enough to find someone to save him,” Garrett Goodsell said.
Ian Goodsell, pictured, narrowly survived a 15ft fall into a ravine in Hawaii. He was trapped there for three nights until someone managed to hear his screams.
Goodsell, center, fell through the weak bridge about three days before Aug. 21, when he was rescued.
Since Goodsell has severe injuries that largely prevent him from communicating, the family is not entirely sure why he was there.
Alta Goodsell, Ian Goodsell’s ex-wife, said she believes he was on land he was tending to. She’s not sure if he was in the process of clearing a trail or doing something else.
“I don’t know the details yet. I know she said she had numerous seizures while she was there. She takes epilepsy medication every day and she didn’t have access to it, so she was there having seizures. I know it rained a lot, luckily it was before the hurricane,” Alta Goodsell explained.
Goodsell was discovered by a passerby on August 21, while Hurricane Hona brought 85 mph winds and limited flash flooding to the island on August 25, missing it for four days.
When passersby heard Goodsell’s cries for help, they alerted authorities.
Brother Garrett Goodsell and his ex-wife Alta Goodsell were very happy that Ian was alive, and both said that he had had epileptic seizures while in the ravine.
A family member set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for Goodsell’s recovery. So far, $9,414 of their $10,000 goal has been raised.
Firefighters responded quickly and sounded their sirens to let him know they were there to rescue him.
They found him 600 feet from the road.
“He had enough energy to tell them he had been there for three nights and had been having seizures,” Garrett said.
“They had to intubate him when he came into the hospital because his body basically stopped working. They put him on a ventilator. He was on that for a week.”
Goodsell is no longer on a ventilator but has difficulty speaking.
Hawaii Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Volpe warned other hikers about the dangers of traveling alone on potentially treacherous trails.
The approximate location where the bridge collapsed under Goodsell
“The ER nurse described him as having wounds all over his body, bruising all over his body and acute liver damage due to severe dehydration. He had very severe pneumonia and was having trouble breathing on his own,” Garrett said.
Hawaii Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Daniel Volpe took the opportunity to warn other hikers about the dangers of traveling alone on potentially dangerous trails.
“If you’re going to hike, and this isn’t necessarily a hiking trail, and even more so if you’re going out, make sure you stay on the trails as much as possible,” Volpe said. “Don’t hike alone, make sure you let people know where you’re going and when you expect to return.”
A family member set up a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for Goodsell’s recovery. So far, $9,414 of their $10,000 goal has been raised.