Devil’s Pulpit Incident
August 2, 2013 ---Peter Detterline
August 2nd 2013 was the 20th anniversary of my Dad’s last trip to Devil’s Pulpit near
Palmerton. This was a favorite stomping ground of his when he was a teenager. I've
been to the Devil’s Pulpit many times before and most recently took my son there in
2008. It was a beautiful summer day; a wonderful day for hiking. You have to scramble
up a steep scree slope of loose rock (Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at
the base of crags, mountain cliffs, volcanoes or valley shoulders that has accumulated
through periodic rockfall from adjacent cliff faces) to reach the Pulpit, an pillar of rock
that sticks out like a thumb. I had taken an interesting route through the woods and this
time was approaching the Pulpit from the side rather than hiking straight up from the
road. I took a picture of the Pulpit at 2:29 PM. About 10-15 minutes later I was
traversing across the scree when some rock started to give way. I braced myself,
leaned back and put my arm out to grab a small tree and successfully stopped my slide.
Or so I thought. I regained consciousness about 15-20 minutes later. I was sitting up
and groggy, like coming out of a dream. I actually thought I was dreaming at first, this
couldn't be right. I noticed a lot of blood on my pants, but it was dry or soaked in. I
noticed my left arm was hanging straight down but the wrist wasn't in line with the arm.
There was a huge cut clear across the wrist; it was slowly dripping blood. There wasn't
any pain unless I moved it. I tried to work my fingers, and I could wiggle my fingers
easily with no pain- a good sign. I had some pain on the back of my right shoulder
blade. I felt it and it was an abrasion. I had a small bump on the back of my head, but no
blood that also was a good sign. I figured I was in shock, but that seemed to be the
extent of the damage report. I took the Gatorade out of my backpack and had a drink.
I then noticed that I couldn't see clearly. My glasses had flown off in the fall. After some
frantic searching where I refused to move less they fall between some rocks or I crush
them inadvertently, I located them rather close by and undamaged. Another good sign.
There is a small dirt road that parallels the river and my car is in a parking lot no more
than a half mile away. I was in the scree about 40 feet above the road. From the
topographic map I must have fallen down the scree slope between 40-60 feet to reach
that point, but I’ll have to go back to get a better measurement.
I had a cell phone in my pocket, but I figured the fastest way out was to hike back to the
car and then drive to the Palmerton Hospital some 10-15 minutes away. I could call 911
if needed once on the road and it would be easier for them to locate me rather than my
current position. I would reevaluate my plan as I went. So I decided to do my own evac.
My legs were fine and steady, but I was a bit woozy. I got up, and carefully navigated
through the scree and foliage and got out on the road. Once I got on the road I called
Anna at 3:09 PM and left a message that I fell, broke my wrist and was hiking back to
the car, but I couldn't seem to find the parking lot. I hiked too far and found myself in a
small neighborhood. I asked a man who was gardening where the parking lot was and it
was close by- about a quarter mile. He asked if I was alright and I assured him I was. I
hiked to the parking lot and got in the car. I felt I was in pretty good shape- mind and
body- to drive.
After two previous attempts, Anna called me as I drove (3:22 pm) but I couldn't answer
– I only had one hand and that was on the wheel. So I stopped on Main Street to take
her call and also to ask two men where the Palmerton Hospital was. They guided me
and it was close. I parked and went into the emergency room. The time was 3:44 pm,
about an hour since I fell.
The pain level was about an 8 at this point, but they had to x-ray before they could deal
with that. They also gave me a cat scan for my head. Their prognosis was that my wrist
was shattered and I suffered from some minor abrasions and a mild concussion. They
pulled the wrist into place and set it with a cast. They didn't have the facilities there to
deal with reconstructive surgery for the wrist so I would have to go to Allentown Lehigh
Valley Hospital. They called Anna for me and arranged for an ambulance. Anna asked
about my hearing aids, and I didn’t realize they were missing. They got lost in the
accident.
It was 10 pm that Friday evening when I arrived at the Lehigh Valley Hospital and they
would fit me in for surgery sometime tomorrow. That turned out to be 1:30 pm and I
awoke in recovery at 7 pm. Anna, Jon and Nancy were there. They visited, but I fell
asleep shortly after. My left distal radius bone was shattered and I understand a plate
and some screws were used to reconstruct the wrist, but I don't know how many until
my appointment on August 27. I was released on Sunday.