What it looks like when you fall off a cliff

Warning, disturbing image alert . . . seriously, keep your eyes half-closed if you have a weak stomach.

Where do I begin? Bryce took the three boys to Logandale for the father-son camping trip. Tyce climbed up the side of a mountain with some older boys this morning, and when he got ahold of the next rock on his ascent, it broke off in his hands. He tumbled 20 feet down, faster and faster, bumping and banging the whole way. He landed with a huge THUD on his face. He lay there for a minute to get his bearings. The other boys started yelling for help, and finally their cries rose above the din of noisy campers. When Bryce looked over to see what was going on, he saw Tyce standing there and said to himself, "Good. It's not my kid." But when he got closer he noticed the blood gushing from his facial wounds, and Tyce was on the ground.

The other men administered first aid, clearing out his nose and mouth of blood, elevating his feet to keep him from going into shock. Tyce cried, "I can't see!" until somebody said, "That's because your eyes are closed!" He later said that he had dirt in his eyes and they hurt to open, not to mention the massive amount of swelling causing pain to that area--all the bystanders suspected that Tyce had a broken nose. Tyce could hear one of the twins saying, "Tyce are you bleeding? Tyce Tyce Tyce are you bleeding? What happened, Tyce? Are you okay Tyce? Tyce Tyce you have a bloody nose!"

Bryce almost went into shock himself. He could feel himself hyperventilating and getting light-headed. Someone asked, "Are you okay to drive?" and he said no. Justin McEwen gave Tyce a blessing. Luckily Bryce had to make arrangements for the twins, and that more concrete and mundane task took some of the attention away from the trauma. The boys were invited into an SUV by their friend's dad they who promised to show them a movie. (A movie in the CAR? Woo hoo!) Like little moths drawn to a flame, the boys climbed in.

Bryce heard that there was an urgent care in the neighboring town. When he drove there he found out that it was closed on the weekends. A helpful woman said, "You should drive him right over to the fire station. Only call 911 first, because its a volunteer fire department and the call will get them moving faster." Bryce smiled politely and then sped as fast as he could back to Las Vegas.

During the car ride Tyce alternately groaned and . . . sang. Apparently he sang "A Whole New World" over and over (remember I said his choir concert was heavy on the Disney songs?). He was trying to distract himself from the pain but it really freaked Bryce out.

Finally they made it to the "good" hospital with a pediatric ER. Tyce had several x-rays taken of his neck, head, etc. He has an orbital fracture, which is located on the upper cheekbone / lower eye. It requires a follow-up visit to a maxillofacial doctor, but it's mainly a wait-and-see issue. He also needs to go to a dentist because of a tear in a spot where the skin and jawbone connect. He does not have a broken nose.

So basically he has a beat up face and gashes on his back, elbows, and knee.

He feels lucky to be alive.


Right now he is watching TV on the couch. He looks terrible . . . but he feels okay. Not great or even good, but it's better than before. He did some serious soul-searching after the accident, as anyone would, and I think he's amazed that he's not worse off. Grateful to be back home. Wondering a lot of "what ifs." How is it that he nearly feel to his death and now he's zoning out in front of Sponge Bob a few hours later?

Thank you, Heavenly Father, for protecting my boy.

Here are some more pictures from the trip.





And one more of Tyce . . .