13-year old Boy Scout saves his dad in the wilderness

A 13-year-old boy saved his father’s life in a remote area of Idaho after a “refrigerator–sized” boulder crushed him while the two were rock climbing.

Charlie Wilstead Finlayson and his dad, David, were backpacking and climbing near Ship Island Lake, also known as the “River of No Return Wilderness,” in Idaho when his father was badly injured.

“The boulder fell on [David] and then he kind of tumbled down like 20 or 30 more feet,” Finlayson told KTVB.

The 52-year-old tried to avoid it by jumping away but was knocked unconscious. He suffered a broken arm, leg and he also ended up with a gash on his shin so deep his bone was exposed.

“At first I was freaking out a little bit, but after a few minutes I kind of calmed down and thought I have to help him out and get his sleeping bag and stuff,” the 13-year-old told KTVB.

With no one around for miles, it was up to Finlayson to help his dad.

For two days, the 13-year-old’s scout skills came into use as he kept his dad calm and hydrated. He cleaned and dressed his father’s wounds and brought food and water to him, ABC News reports.

“He was my savior,” the father told Idaho Statesman. “He kept talking to me all night.”

The two eventually made their way slowly back to camp but it took hours as David dragged himself there. Then, there was no one around camp to ask for help.

So the next day, Charlie went on a 13-mile hiking mission to find someone. He was carrying a note his father wrote, explaining what happened and where his dad was.

“I was scared I wasn’t going to find somebody,” Charlie told ABC News. “I prayed a lot.”

Three miles into his hike, Charlie came across two men. They went back to aid Finlayson at camp while Charlie continued on. He found some other campers and one volunteered to run the other eight miles to get help.

Finlayson was eventually airlifted to a hospital where he already had two surgeries but more are expected, KTVB reports.

The two are already planning their next excursion but this time they plan on packing a radio.