Hero Saves Man After 120-Foot Fall At Glacier National Park

Ken Nurse was out with his wife Renae and their family on August 13. They headed up into Montana's Glacier National Park. The air was crisp, and the views were breathtaking. Around 11am, the group pulled over near McDonald Falls to snap some photos. Everything looked perfect at first glance.

Suddenly, a stranger tried to get an even better look at the scenery below. That tourist fell one hundred and twenty feet straight down. The impact caused severe injuries. Panic must have set in instantly for everyone nearby.

A heroic rescuer jumped into action right away. They pulled the fallen man from the wreckage before emergency crews could arrive. Ken Nurse watched it all unfold near the waterfall's edge. He described the scene as clear and pretty just moments before the disaster hit.

"We made it to McDonald Falls and it was so clear. It's so pretty." Those were his words right after the accident happened. The family stood there in shock while the rescue took place nearby. The stranger's quick thinking saved a life that would otherwise have been lost.

Ken Nurse fell 120 feet into McDonald Creek at Glacier National Park, leaving him with cracked ribs, a compound elbow fracture, and fluid in his lungs after a nasty incident near the bridge. His wife, Renae, told NonStop Local that they had just finished taking pictures when the ground gave way under her husband while he was returning to their car to warm up. Dispatch reports say the fall happened around 11:20am on August 13, but a nearby hero saw Nurse facedown in the water and immediately waded in to pull him into shallow areas before starting CPR until breathing returned.

The daughter of Ken called out to her father that someone was struggling, allowing the stranger named Josh Seppelt to grab Ken by his foot and drag him toward safety. Renae later identified Seppelt on Facebook as the man who courageously jumped in to save her husband's life while a ranger nearby radioed for an extraction. Rangers quickly arrived to stabilize Nurse before emergency responders called a helicopter to air-lift him out of the park.

Rob Cherot, assistant chief pilot for Two Bear Air Rescue, flew the aircraft that hoisted Nurse from the water during a 30-minute journey toward the scene. An ALERT medical helicopter could not land due to difficult terrain in the area, so Cherot noted the slippery rock surfaces submerged in the creek upon his own arrival. Crew members waded through the waters with extraction vests while Nurse remained responsive but unaware of exactly where he was or what had just occurred.

After being carried roughly a quarter of a mile to the ALERT aircraft on the shore of Lake McDonald, Ken was transported to Logan Health Medical Center where he spent two days on a ventilator before regaining consciousness. Cherot emphasized that the stranger who made the split-second decision to jump into freezing water did the heavy lifting rather than his own crew bringing in dramatic rescue gear. He called Seppelt the true hero while admitting their team only performed the easier parts of the operation involving hoisting someone down.

Nurse told NonStop Local he is doing pretty good considering such a severe fall and feels much better today than earlier that same day. He admitted it was just one step at a time but insisted he should not be there and plans to do whatever necessary to deserve his recovery. Renae said the park remains her happy place despite this tragedy, noting she loves being out here and they plan to return soon.

It is so peaceful and it is so beautiful, taking your breath away every single time. This particular visit actually stole my husband's air, though they managed to give it back to him,' she joked with a laugh. Renae explained that once Nurse survived the surgery, the couple finally got their flights booked and are now heading home this Friday.

She posted an update on Facebook confirming the return date for both of them. 'I am beyond grateful that he will be flying home with me tomorrow,' she wrote in her post. 'I can't imagine doing this life without him.' She admitted they might have missed thanking some folks, apologizing because it has been a rough week so far. 'We love y'all,' she added to her followers.

Renae also expressed deep thanks to everyone who stepped up during the crisis. 'I just want everyone who helped me out to get the things they deserve,' he told the outlet, referring to himself in the third person likely due to shock or fatigue. He was clear about his stance: 'Because I should not be here right now. I owe everyone my life and I want that to be known.'

The Daily Mail contacted Glacier National Park for their side of the story but received no immediate comment on the situation. The focus remains on getting Nurse back safely while honoring the many hands that pulled him through such a dark moment.