Injured Hiker Survives 4 Days in Desert

North Carolina man inspired by '127 Hours'
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 25, 2011 3:55 PM CDT
Injured Hiker Survives for Days in Utah Desert, Inspired by James Franco Film
A hiker inspired by the film "127 Hours" crawled for 4 days through the Utah desert after breaking his leg.   (MovieWeb)

Maybe the sequel will be called 100 Hours? Inspired by the cringe-inducing James Franco film 127 Hours, a North Carolina man went hiking in the Utah desert, broke his leg, and crawled toward his parked car for 4 days, the AP reports. Amos Wayne Richards, 64, is now recuperating at home. But things looked scary earlier this month when he fell 10 feet and snapped an ankle while hiking at Little Blue John Canyon.

Richards also dislocated his shoulder, but worked it "back in place" and dragged himself nearly 5 miles using a GPS device. With only two protein bars and no cell phone service, Richards endured chilly nights and filled his bottles with rainwater. Rangers found his empty campsite and went looking for him in a helicopter; Richards eventually signaled them with his camera flash. It could have been worse, rangers say, because Richards went hiking without telling anyone. (More hiking stories.)

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