Son hailed as hero for saving dad on Idaho hiking trip after boulder accident

IDAHO (WABC) -- A 13-year-old Boy Scout is being credited with saving his father's life after the two were stranded in the wilderness.

David and Charlie Finlayson were on a hiking trip in Idaho when a boulder fell on David, the father. He was severely injured, and Charlie cared for him for more than two days until they were rescued.

The father and son were on an end-of-summer trip in the ominously named "river of no return wilderness" when everything changed in an instant.

"I was hanging off a cliff, and I thought I was going to bleed out," David Finlayson said.

The boulder, about the size of a refrigerator, broke loose and struck the 52-year-old, sending him careening 30 feet down the mountain and knocking him unconscious. He suffered a broken back, left arm and heel, and a gash to his leg through to the bone.

"It was definitely scary at first, but then I thought I should stay calm and make sure he was OK," Charlie said.

For two and a half days, Charlie, an experienced Boy Scout, took care of his dad by himself, dressing his wounds and keeping him calm and hydrated.

But with the nearest ranger 13 miles away, there was no way to get him out. Desperate, his dad made the decision to send Charlie for help, with a note explaining what happened and how to find him, signed with a simple "thank you for your help."

"Mostly I was scared I wasn't going to find anybody," Charlie said.

Charlie says anyone else would have reacted the same way, but his proud father isn't so sure.

"Obviously, he saved my life," he said. "So he's a capable child."