This Montana rock climber made one decision that saved his life when disaster struck
Cody Boehm was enjoying what should have been a routine rock climbing trip with friends.
He was following all the safety protocols and doing everything right.
And this Montana rock climber made one decision that saved his life when disaster struck.
"Microwave-sized" boulder nearly kills experienced climber
Cody Boehm thought he was having a typical Sunday climbing adventure at Confluence Crag in Montana with his buddies.
The experienced climber was still on the ground talking with friends when disaster struck without warning.
A "microwave-sized" boulder broke loose from a ledge 50 feet above when one of his climbing partners accidentally dislodged it.
The massive rock came crashing down and struck Boehm in the head before slamming into his body.
The impact was devastating.
The boulder broke his collarbone and seven ribs, collapsed his right lung, and tore a large gash across his back.
"I definitely knew my right side was broke," Boehm told KTVQ News. "I was feeling like I wasn’t going to make it. There was a point there where I was like, this is bad."
His friends immediately sprang into action to keep him alive while they waited for help to arrive.
One friend applied pressure to his wounds while staying with him to keep him conscious and alert.
Another called for emergency rescue teams.
Montana rescue teams pull off challenging extraction
The remote location made rescuing Boehm incredibly difficult and dangerous.
Getting Boehm out of there wasn’t going to be easy.
Red Lodge Fire Rescue showed up, along with search and rescue teams and folks from the Custer Gallatin National Forest Beartooth Ranger District.
The terrain was brutal – steep, rocky, and nowhere near a road.
Chainsaw crews even had to clear fallen trees from the rugged trail so medics could navigate the terrain to reach him.
"The trail had a bunch of trees falling everywhere. So they had a tree crew out there, cut trees down in front of me," Boehm recalled. "They had the Red Lodge fire rescue crew out there, search and rescue. I mean, they did amazing."
"Personnel who were involved in Cody’s care deserve significant praise and a lot of kudos," Dr. Gordon Riha from Billings Clinic told KTVQ. "They went above and beyond with their extraction from a very difficult location, and then they provided lifesaving care on the way to the hospital."
The rescue teams managed to get Boehm safely transported to Billings Clinic where the medical team was waiting for him.
Dr. Riha said Boehm arrived with "significant injuries" but the medical staff was prepared for the severity of his condition.
"He was significantly injured," Dr. Riha recalled.
But despite the massive boulder striking him directly in the head, Boehm had avoided the worst possible outcome.
One piece of safety equipment made all the difference
When Dr. Riha examined Boehm at the hospital, he immediately realized why the climber was still alive.
Boehm had been wearing his climbing helmet when the boulder struck.
That single piece of safety equipment saved his life.
Dr. Riha told KTVQ that Boehm would have sustained "significant and severe intracranial injury, which likely would have been life-threatening" if he hadn’t been wearing his helmet when the massive rock hit him.
The helmet absorbed the devastating impact that would have otherwise crushed his skull.
Look, experienced climbers know the safety rules exist for a reason.
You wear your helmet every single time, no exceptions, no shortcuts.
Boehm followed that rule religiously – and it’s the only reason he’s alive today to tell his story.
"Your helmet will save your life no matter what," Boehm said from his hospital bed. "That’s what saved my life. It hit me in the head. If I didn’t have my helmet on, I wouldn’t be here today."
The climbing community has strict safety protocols for good reason.
Accidents can happen in an instant, even to the most experienced climbers.
Here’s the deal – you can do everything right and still have something go sideways in an instant.
But Boehm followed the basic safety rule that every climber learns on day one.
He wore his helmet, no matter what.
Despite suffering multiple serious injuries, he’s already looking forward to getting back on the rocks once he recovers.
His friend TaylorRae Seal summed up everyone’s feelings perfectly in a Facebook post: "Thank you, Lord. Love you brother!"
American rescue teams, experienced climbers who follow safety protocols, and medical professionals who provide excellent emergency care – these are the people who make stories like this possible.
Cody Boehm made the right choice to wear his helmet.
That decision saved his life when a split-second accident could have ended it.
¹ Latoya Gayle, "Climber Struck by ‘Microwave-Sized’ Rock Says Helmet Saved His Life: ‘I Wouldn’t Be Here Today’," People Magazine, September 29, 2025.
