They say Marines are built different—and after this, who’s going to argue?
A 61-year-old former Marine in Alaska stared down Mother Nature and lived to tell the tale after being crushed by a 700-pound boulder during a rockslide over the weekend. The incident, which happened Saturday, had all the markings of a tragedy. But this is one story where grit, luck, and a little Marine toughness made all the difference.
According to first responders, they fully expected to be recovering a body, not rescuing a man cracking jokes. But when they arrived at the scene, they found the Marine still alive—pinned in just the right way that spared him from fatal injury.
Doctors later confirmed that while the boulder was massive, the way it landed prevented catastrophic damage. He was rushed to the hospital, where he spent two nights under observation. Miraculously, he walked away with minor injuries and a solid dose of gallows humor.
His comment after the ordeal?
“I’m feeling good… ready to go dancing.”
It’s a line that perfectly sums up the spirit of a man who’s probably faced worse in training than most of us will in a lifetime.
Emergency crews credited his military background, mental resilience, and sheer good fortune for his survival. “It was a miracle,” one of the rescuers said. “The kind of thing you tell your buddies about at the bar for the next 20 years.”
This rockslide survivor is already back on his feet—and probably spinning tales as well as he’s planning to spin on the dance floor.
Semper Fi—and watch out for boulders.
