At a Glance
- Jake McCollum, 18, fell 262 feet down Mount Walsh in Queensland on Nov. 30
- He suffered a fractured spine, broken ribs, internal bleeding, and a head injury
- His Bluetooth headphones allowed five-hour phone contact with parents during rescue
- Why it matters: The rescue shows how simple tech can save lives in remote areas
An 18-year-old climber is recovering after plummeting more than 260 feet down an Australian mountain, surviving only because a tree broke his fall and a personal locator beacon guided rescuers to his hidden position beneath dense foliage.
Jake McCollum was hiking alone near the summit of Mount Walsh, Queensland, on Nov. 30 when he lost his footing and tumbled approximately 262 feet (80 meters), according to reports by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and 7 News.
The Fall and Immediate Aftermath
McCollum remembers striking a tree near the base before landing on his back.
“The wind was knocked out of me and I remember thinking it was probably all over for me,” he told ABC. “I didn’t really think it was survivable.”
His injuries included:
- Fractured spine
- Broken ribs
- Internal bleeding
- Head injury
Despite the trauma, McCollum managed to crawl toward his backpack, which had landed nearby. Inside was a personal locator beacon (PLB), a compact satellite-linked distress transmitter.
Beacon Activation and Family Contact
He activated the device, sending an emergency signal that was received in Canberra. Authorities then phoned his parents.
They tried to reach him twice before connecting through his damaged phone. McCollum heard his mother’s voice through his Bluetooth headphones, which had also fallen within reach.
“I heard really, really faintly: ‘Mom, I’m hurt really bad.’ And I think my heart sank, my knees went, it’s probably the worst news you can ever hear,” his mother, Rachel, told 7 News.
She added that her son repeatedly said, “I think I’m going to die” during the call.
Rachel stayed on the line for more than five hours, coordinating with the Queensland Police Service to guide rescuers.
Once the headphones lost power, McCollum could still hear his parents through the cracked phone lying nearby, ABC noted.
Difficult Helicopter Search
LifeFlight aircrew officer Shayne White told ABC the PLB signal was reflecting off rock faces, complicating location efforts.
He also pointed out that McCollum wore all-black clothing and lay face-down under thick foliage, making visual detection almost impossible.
“We had to come down low to hover before we could actually see him,” White said.
McCollum recalled the helicopter passing overhead several times before finally spotting his legs.
“When the helicopter did arrive, I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this is great,'” he told 7 News. “But then it went right past me, and I was talking through the phone and saying, ‘It’s gone past me, it’s gone past me!’ It was back and forth for quite a while, and then eventually they spotted me.”
Rescue and Recovery
Crew members spent roughly an hour stabilizing McCollum before airlifting him to a regional hospital, where he spent several days, ABC reported.
Rachel credited the Bluetooth headphones with saving her son’s life, saying that without them “it could have taken days to locate him.”
“We’re one of the lucky ones – we get to hug our kid at night, so we’re so very thankful,” she added.
