He tried to push the rock, but he couldn’t. He tried to break the rock, but he couldn’t. He tried to use his climbing equipment to pull the rock, but he couldn’t.
He knew that there was almost no chance of anyone finding him.
He had little water and he knew he could not survive for long.
Aron knew that death was a very real possibility. He took out his
video camera and began to record himself.
“My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and Larry Ralston of Englewood, Co. Whoever finds this, please make an attempt to get it to them. ”
Aron said goodbye to his family.
“So again love to everyone. Bring love and peace and happiness and beautiful lives into the world in my honor. Thank you. Love you.”
He stopped recording. He then used his knife to write his name on the rock.
Under his name he wrote ‘October 1975’. This was the month and year he was born. Under that he wrote ‘April 2003’.This was the current month and year.
This was his gravestone. He prayed to God and was ready to die.
He knew that cutting off his arm was his only chance to escape.
He had a knife, but it was a very cheap one.
As he cut off his arm, he felt a strange mixture of terrible pain and joy. He called it a beautiful pain. Cutting his arm was the worst pain of his life, but the idea of freedom made him very excited.
He had to be very careful not to pass out from the pain and excitement. He cut the skin. He cut the muscles. He cut the
nerves.
But he couldn’t cut the bone. His knife was not strong enough.
He didn’t know what to do.
After five days, Aron gave up. He was defeated. He knew he would die.