Featured Image Credit: GoFundMe
Dan Seddon
A dad has provided a health update on his 14-year-old son after he stepped off the edge of Mount Whitney last month.
While hiking together in the Sierra Nevada mountains on June 10, Zane Wach succumbed to altitude sickness, which can place sufferers in a grip of dizziness, tiredness and pounding headaches.
The teenager began to hallucinate, claiming to see 'snowmen and Kermit the Frog', before walking towards the edge of the slope and falling down an estimated 120 feet.
Having been airlifted to Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, Zane's severe head trauma and broken ankle, finger and pelvis meant he needed to be put into a coma.
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According to the family, he's now been taken off his ventilator, marking a 'giant milestone' as the medical team hopes to wean Zane off his sedatives.
His father, Ryan Wach, revealed in a Facebook post shared by Zane's grandmother Lisa Hinrichsen-Wach: "[This] opens the door to many new steps forward. He's not doing much else at the moment, the largest focus is watching closely so that he does well breathing on his own ... and being able to cough and swallow."
"He's been on a lot of heavy drugs. Getting off those is extremely hard and painful. As parents it's terrible to watch," he added.
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Previously speaking to SFGATE, Ryan recalled why they were up there in the first place and how his son's demeanor began to alter the as they ascended the mountain.
"He’s in better shape than I am," he pointed out. "The idea was that this would be kind of like his introduction to mountaineering.
"He started to experience some hallucinations. He knew he was hallucinating. He said he saw things like snowmen and Kermit the Frog."
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Ryan went on: "My best guess is a combination of exhaustion, sleep deprivation, probably some dehydration, and lasting effects from the altitude sickness. But he essentially started to doubt reality. It was completely bizarre.
"He told me he couldn't tell if he was dreaming or not, and he would shake his head in disbelief, like, 'This is not real.' Like he was in the movie Inception or something."
At the time of Zane's incident, the pair were just a few miles from where they'd parked the car.
Ryan said he had turned away from the view to wipe some tears from his eyes as his son approached the edge - when he tried to reach him it was too late.
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Meanwhile, in response to this horrific event, Key News Network journalist Austin Dave uploaded an Instagram video of the teen's swimming team friends from Hart High School sharing heartfelt messages of support.
"Zane, we are thinking of you. We are rooting for you. We know you will get through this," said Linda Ortega, Hart Swim parent board president.
"We are here to support you. Your teammates are here, whether it be the Hart Swim team or the 002 Sharks. We will be waiting for you. We know you will come back stronger than ever."
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Zane is a junior coach of the swim team there.