A 14-year-old California boy is in a medically induced coma after suffering a terrifying fall from a 120-foot cliff—moments after telling his father he was seeing “snowmen and Kermit the Frog” during a bout of altitude sickness.
Zane Wach was hiking down Mount Whitney in California’s Sierra Nevada on June 10 when he suddenly became disoriented, hallucinated, and stepped off a cliff right in front of his father, Ryan Wach, according to SFGate.
Now, the teen is fighting for his life after suffering a traumatic brain injury, along with a fractured pelvis, ankle, and finger. He remains in a coma at Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas.
‘He told me he couldn’t tell if he was dreaming’
Zane, an experienced and athletic teen who regularly ran, swam, and competed in triathlons, was supposed to be on his first serious mountaineering adventure with his dad. Ryan said his son was in top shape and had handled hikes before.
“He’s in better shape than I am,” Ryan said.
But as they descended the mountain, Ryan noticed Zane growing unsteady. His son began showing symptoms of altitude sickness, a dangerous condition caused by low oxygen levels at high elevations.
Though they switched to an easier trail for the seven-mile descent, Zane’s symptoms worsened. He began hallucinating.
“He knew it wasn’t real,” Ryan recalled. “He said, ‘I see snowmen. I see Kermit the Frog.’”
Zane became confused, began questioning if they were stuck in a dream, and said he thought they had “already finished the hike multiple times.”
“He shook his head like he was in Inception,” Ryan said. “He couldn’t tell if anything was real.”
‘He walked off the edge’
A nearby group of hikers noticed Zane’s condition and called for search and rescue. But things soon spiraled.
Zane’s behavior turned more erratic. He began dragging his feet and appeared to be sleepwalking. He moved toward the cliffside, saying he was going “to the car,” even though it was thousands of feet below. Ryan managed to stop him—once.
Then Zane said he was heading “to get dinner.”
Overwhelmed and exhausted, Ryan briefly wiped his tears. That moment of distraction proved devastating.
“I took my hands off my eyes and he was already walking. He was 10 feet away. I reached, but I couldn’t get to him in time,” Ryan said.
Zane stepped off the edge and plunged 120 feet down a steep slope.
Rescue, coma, and a ‘miraculous’ outcome
Ryan sprinted after his son. A hiker—who happened to be an EMT—jumped into action to help. Zane lay injured on the slope for six hours while Inyo County Search & Rescue teams worked to stabilize and extract him.
Zane was first airlifted to Southern Inyo Hospital, then flown to Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas. Despite his injuries, doctors called it “fairly miraculous” that he survived the fall without even more severe trauma.
In an update posted to a GoFundMe campaign set up for Zane’s medical care, Ryan said his son briefly opened his eyes Wednesday.
“He’s improving, but he still has a long road ahead.”
Altitude sickness turned dangerous
Doctors believe Zane was suffering from high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), a rare but severe form of altitude sickness in which the brain swells from lack of oxygen. HACE can cause confusion, hallucinations, and even death if not treated immediately. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it affects fewer than 1% of climbers at elevations over 13,000 feet.
Zane’s story is now being shared as a powerful warning to other hikers and outdoor adventurers about the hidden dangers of high-altitude travel—even for the young and fit.
“He just wanted an adventure,” Ryan said. “We thought we were prepared. We weren’t.”
