BOISE, Idaho — A man injured in the backcountry of Valley County is recovering in the hospital after he and his wife spent Tuesday night outdoors.
Cody Morrow, 29, of Kooskia suffered several broken bones, head trauma, and a punctured lung when a large boulder rolled over his legs while the couple was hunting for shed antlers.
It happened about five miles south of the Yellow Jacket Ranch, along the South Fork of the Salmon River.
Morrow was not able to move.
Members of the Yellow Jacket Ranch volunteered to assist Valley County deputies. They were advised that they would have to hike for five hours and cross the river to get to Morrow.
Weather kept helicopter crews from reaching the area at night, so volunteers from the ranch helped Morrow prepare for an overnight stay.
Because of snow and windfalls, it took 11 hours for Valley County Search and Rescue to reach the ranch.
The Idaho National Guard launched a Blackhawk helicopter at 7:20 a.m. Wednesday. According to the Guard, a hoist rider and flight paramedic were lowered to the site to tend to Morrow who was said to be seriously injured, but in stable condition.
Morrow and his wife were then airlifted to Cascade where he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
The rescue was the second in as many days that the Idaho Army National Guard was involved in. On Tuesday, the members of the Guard and Boise Fire Department helped to rescue five people from rising flood waters near Grangeville.
