A group which included Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey help save the life of an injured hiker over the weekend in Colorado.
Max Henson of the Panthers’ official website reports that McCaffrey, along with his brothers Dylan and Max and friends Michael Mann and Brooke Pettet, went hiking at Castle Rock, which is just outside Denver, on Sunday. During their hike, they saw 72-year-old Dan Smoker Sr., who was hiking along with his 13-year-old grandson Eli, fall about 20 feet onto a rock.
“It felt like he was in the air for 10 seconds,” Christian McCaffrey said. “I had never seen anything quite like that in my life as far as the trauma and the sound. We were in shock.”
McCaffrey immediately called for paramedics, while Mann performed chest compressions when Smoker stopped breathing. The paramedics arrived just a few short minutes later to take Smoker to the hospital.
Smoker was diagnosed with a number of injuries, which include a broken femur, a broken pelvis, bleeding on the brain, nine fractured ribs, and a broken neck. But as of late Tuesday afternoon, he was in critical but stable condition.
A day after the accident, McCaffrey, along with his mom and brothers, went to the hospital to check on the family. The Smoker family was obviously grateful to McCaffrey and co. for everything they did. But Christian was just glad they were there at the right time to help.
“It’s such a … I don’t know what you’d call it,” McCaffrey said. Truly a blessing that we turned the corner at that exact moment and we could be there for him. I don’t know what would have happened… We were lucky to be at the right place at the right time.”
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