Climber Struck by ‘Microwave-Sized’ Rock Says Helmet Saved His Life: ‘I Wouldn’t Be Here Today’

An experienced rock climber is recovering in the hospital after being struck by a large rock before he even began his climb.

On Sunday, Sept. 21, Cody Boehm was talking with friends at Confluence Crag in Montana when a boulder fell from about 50 feet above, according to local news outlets KTVQ and NBC Montana.

The “microwave-sized” rock had been dislodged when one of Boehm’s friends accidentally stepped on a ledge, the reports noted.

The impact left Boehm with a broken collarbone, seven fractured ribs, and a collapsed right lung. He also sustained multiple fractures and a large laceration on his back.

“I definitely knew my right side was broke,” Boehm told KTVQ. “I was feeling like I wasn’t going to make it. There was a point there where I was like, this is bad.”

Boehm’s friends acted quickly: one applied pressure to his wounds to keep him awake, while another called for help. Due to the difficult terrain, rescue efforts involved Red Lodge Fire Rescue, search and rescue teams, and the Custer Gallatin National Forest Beartooth Ranger District to safely extract him from the scene.

“He was significantly injured,” Dr. Gordon Riha recalled of Boehm’s arrival at Billings Clinic, per KTVQ. “Personnel who were involved in Cody’s care deserve significant praise and a lot of kudos. They went above and beyond with their extraction from a very difficult location, and then they provided lifesaving care on the way to the hospital.”

Dr. Riha added that Boehm would have likely sustained “life-threatening” injuries if he hadn’t been wearing a helmet at the time the boulder struck him.

Now recovering in the hospital, Boehm is already looking forward to getting back to rock climbing.

“Your helmet will save your life no matter what,” Boehm said, per KTVQ. “That’s what saved my life. It hit me in the head. If I didn’t have my helmet on, I wouldn’t be here today.”

In a Facebook post about the accident, Boehm’s friend TaylorRae Seal wrote, “Thank you, Lord. Love you brother!”

“Omg!! I’m so glad you are ok!” added Jamie Rosin, to which Boehm replied: “Thank you, I’m doing good.”

Red Lodge Fire Rescue and the Custer Gallatin National Forest Beartooth Ranger District did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Monday, Sept. 29.