Harrowing words teen said as he hallucinated and walked off 120-foot cliff in front of horrified father

A heartbroken father has shared the chilling words his son spoke while hallucinating before walking off a 120-foot cliff.

Zane Wach hallucinated and walked off a 120-foot cliff in front of his father. Credit: GoFundMe

Ryan Wach and his 14-year-old son, Zane, were hiking Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada on June 10 when a horrific accident took place.

The outing was meant to be a milestone adventure, and Wach had no doubts about his son’s abilities.

“He’s in better shape than I am,” he told SFGate, adding that his son was an active teen who competed in distance running, swimming, and triathlons. “The idea was that this would be kind of like his introduction to mountaineering.”

As the pair climbed, Zane started showing signs of altitude sickness, prompting them to take an easier seven-mile trail down. But the teen's condition worsened, and he began to “experience some hallucinations".

“He knew he was hallucinating,” Wach said. “He said he saw things like snowmen and Kermit the Frog.”

Although Zane appeared to improve, he soon began to question reality. “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.”

Wach described the moment his son’s confusion became clear. “It was completely bizarre,” he said, revealing that Zane insisted they had “already finished the hike multiple times over” and was unsure whether he was awake or dreaming.

“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,” he added.

Nearby hikers called for search and rescue, but Zane’s condition deteriorated further. “He was worse than before,” Wach told the Independent. “He almost seemed like he was sleepwalking. He started dragging his feet and stopped in his tracks...He didn’t want to go on.”

Wach tried to keep Zane from moving toward a dangerous ledge, but the teen insisted he was going to the "car" or trying to get “dinner”.

Wach, feeling overwhelmed, briefly let go of his son while wiping away tears. “I had to wipe away tears. I was holding my hands to my eyes, and he walked off again,” Wach told SFGate.

“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," he continued. "I couldn’t get him, and he walked off the edge.”

Zane’s father, Ryan, said his son began doubting “reality.” Credit: GoFundMe

Zane fell an estimated 120 feet down the jagged slope, suffering severe head trauma, a broken ankle, a broken finger, and fractured part of his pelvis.

Wach rushed down the slope to reach his son, and a nearby hiker who was an EMT began helping with rescue efforts.

The 14-year-old was left on the mountain for about six hours while Inyo County Search & Rescue teams worked to extract him safely.

He was then airlifted to Southern Inyo Hospital in Lone Pine and then flown to Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, the nearest pediatric trauma center. Doctors described it as “fairly miraculous” that he was not more seriously injured, according to Wach.

Zane suffered severe head trauma from the fall and remains in a medically induced coma. Credit: GoFundMe

A GoFundMe has been launched by a family friend to help with Zane’s medical bills. As of the time of writing, $23,059 has been raised.

"We started this campaign because so many of you have asked for a tangible way to help, and while their family is so fortunate to have good health care, there are many other expenses which they will incur on this long journey towards rehabilitation," the description read.

"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," they added.

Wach shared that his son is “improving” and briefly opened his eyes on Wednesday but “still has a long way to go.”

Featured image credit: GoFundMe