California Teen in Coma After He Hallucinated & ‘Walked Off’ 120-Foot Cliff, Dad Says

The bizarre incident took place on June 10 when Zane Wach, 14, and his father, Ryan, of Santa Clarita, were hiking an advanced trail on Mount Whitney, according to Ryan, who spoke to SFGate.com, The Independent, and Las Vegas NBC affiliate KSNV.

Ryan — who is an experienced hiker and mountaineer — told SFGate and The Independent that he wasn’t too concerned about Zane’s ability to take on the 19-hour trek as the teen is very athletic, participating in competitive swimming, distance running, and triathlons, in addition to hiking experience — although it was Zane’s first time climbing Mount Whitney.

However, during the hike, Zane began to began to exhibit signs of altitude sickness, per his father, and the two decided to hike back down. Ryan told The Independent that his son’s symptoms were initially “not too severe,” including nausea and fatigue.

While Ryan and his son were going down the mountain, however, Zane’s condition began to worsen.

“He started to experience some hallucinations,” Ryan told SFGate. “He knew he was hallucinating. He said he saw things like snowmen and Kermit the Frog.”

He added that while Zane began feeling “considerably better” after they reached Mount Whitney’s Trail Camp, only 6 miles away from the trailhead, his son’s mental state worsened once again an hour later.

“He was in an altered mental state, and I don’t know what caused it. We still don’t know,” Ryan told SFGate. “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.”

He said they soon needed to stop after Zane thought they had “already finished the hike multiple times over.”

“It was completely bizarre,” Ryan recalled. “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.”

According to Ryan, at this point, another group of hikers reached out to the search and rescue teams, and another hiker — who happened to be an EMT — also tried to help, he told SFGate and The Independent.

He said Zane began making movements toward a ledge, which dropped into a granite slope, per SFGate. After stopping him, Ryan said his son told him he was going to their car. The same incident happened again, but Ryan said his son replied that he was getting dinner, rather than going to their car.

“I was kind of losing my mind, in a way, because I was so scared and frustrated,” Ryan recalled. “I had to wipe away tears. I was holding my hands to my eyes, and he walked off again.”

However, when it happened again, Ryan did not grab his son in time.

“This time, I didn’t hear it until he was about at the edge, and when I went to reach for him, he was 10 feet away from me. I couldn’t get him, and he walked off the edge,” he recalled to SFGate.

He said his son felll 120 feet. At the time, they were around 10,000 feet overall, Ryan told KSNV.

“I didn’t see how there would be a way for him to survive it, so I screamed. I was yelling ‘no,'” Ryan recalled to The Independent.

He said he rushed over to his son, and “rolled him over,” adding that Ryan “grunted” and “was still breathing.”

According to SFGate and The Independent, the EMT nearby intervened and began to assess Zane, while also coordinating rescue efforts. Ryan said rescue teams arrived six hours later, and Zane was rushed to a nearby hospital, before being flown to Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas.

Zane was placed in a medically induced coma. The teen’s injuries included a broken ankle and finger, along with part of his pelvis. Ryan told SFGate that doctors said it was “fairly miraculous” that his son didn’t sustain further injuries.

He explained to The Independent that while Zane remains in a coma, he’s “improving” and has opened his eyes.

“He has gotten through a lot of the woods, as you might say. He was extubated today, his eyes were open, but he still has a long way to go,” Ryan shared.

“It’s going to be a survival story in the end, but right now we’re still in the middle of it,” he added while speaking with SFGate.

A GoFundMe was set up for Zane, his father, and their family.

“During this uncertain time, we would like to help ease the burden of their travel costs, such as gas expenses to and from CA to Las Vegas, lodging, and meals,” the fundraiser’s organizer, Heather Riggen, wrote. “If you are unable to make a financial contribution, there are still other ways you can help, like sharing this campaign and keeping Zane and his family in your prayers. We believe in the power of community to lift each other up, and we thank you for your prayers and support. Together we are stronger. Team Zane all the way! We believe in you, buddy; continue to fight.”

As of Friday, the fundraiser has received over $25,000 in donations, with $28,000 as its goal.