Hiker Trapped Under 700-Pound Boulder in Phoenix

A man’s attempt to scramble up the side of a Phoenix riverbank turned into a rescue mission Sunday night, after a 700-pound boulder rolled onto his leg.

The 40-year-old man had been following the path of the Salt River bed when the accident occurred. He was unable to free himself from beneath the boulder, and began to cry for help. His screams were heard by a dog named “Hank,” who was nearby with his owner, Alonzo Reddick.

According to Captain Ardell Deliz of the Phoenix Fire Department, Reddick’s dog was the first to realize there was a crisis. “His dog started acting funny,” Deliz told Phoenix’s Fox 8 News. “[Reddick] decided to take his time a little bit and really listen to what was going on and in the distance, he heard a man yelling for help.”

“Hank got me there and was pretty adamant to make sure that guy was OK,” Reddick told the station. Once Reddick found the pinned man he contacted emergency services. Around 9 p.m. medical technicians and fire crews freed the man’s leg. They then transported him to a local hospital for further treatment.

It was not immediately clear how the accident occurred, or whether the hiker was responsible for dislodging the boulder.