A dramatic mountain rescue has sparked intense reaction after a rescuer revealed he was forced to deliberately break a hiker’s leg by hand in order to save his life after nearly 20 hours trapped in freezing water. The decision, made under extreme conditions, has been described by experts as a last-resort act that likely prevented a fatal outcome.

The incident occurred after the hiker became pinned in a narrow gorge, immobilized by fast-moving, icy water that made conventional extraction impossible. Rescue teams battled worsening weather, rising water levels, and the constant risk of hypothermia, details later outlined in international reporting on the rescue.

According to the rescuer, the man’s leg was wedged so tightly between rocks that no equipment could free him. After hours of failed attempts and with the hiker’s condition rapidly deteriorating, the rescuer made the decision to manually break the trapped leg to pull him free — a choice discussed in coverage of extreme rescue operations.

The hiker had already spent nearly a full day submerged in near-freezing water, placing him at severe risk of hypothermia, organ failure, and death. Medical experts note that prolonged cold-water exposure dramatically reduces survival time, a danger explained in clinical guidance on hypothermia.