>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

ENTERPRISE — An Enterprise teen remains in fair condition in a Boise hospital after having fallen while climbing in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, and his boss is being dubbed a hero for having saved him.

Kyle Stewart, 19, sustained double compound leg fractures while attempting to climb steep terrain near Maxwell Lake some 13 miles southwest of Enterprise, a Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office press release said.

“It was a life-threatening situation,” Sheriff Fred Steen said.

At about 2 p.m. Wednesday the sheriff’s office received a cell 9-1-1 call from Stewart’s hiking companion and boss, Dustin Creps.

Stewart had fallen 20 feet or more and then bounced, rolled and slid down a boulder slide, his father, John Stewart, said.

Creps found Stewart with compound fractures of the tibia and fibula bones of the lower right leg. He was bleeding badly, John Stewart said.

Creps put a tourniquet on the leg and told Stewart to loosen it every 15 minutes.

Creps had to climb to the top of the ridge to get cell coverage,  John Stewart  said.

“It took about an hour to get up and back, and Dusty was real concerned that Kyle might not remember, or might pass out after loosening the tourniquet and bleed to death,”John Stewart said.

“Kyle was pretty pale and shivering. Dusty feared that he might be going into shock, so he built a fire and covered Kyle with a sleeping bag. They’d spent the night before there,” John Stewart said.

Wallowa County Search and Rescue, along with Life Flight out of McCall, Idaho, were notified.

A Life Flight helicopter was dispatched to the scene.

Creps waited with Stewart for 2 1/2 hours for the helicopter to arrive, John Stewart said.

The helicopter arrived with a pilot and two EMTs. Stewart and Creps crawled several hundred yards with Stewart’s broken leg tied into Creps’ backpack to stabilize it, John Stewart said.

John Stewart and the Wallowa County Search and Rescue arrived at the Two Pan Trailhead up the Lostine River at about 5:30 p.m., he said.

By that time Stewart had been transported to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.

Creps hiked out in the dark and arrived at Enterprise about 8:30 p.m.

Kyle Stewart had planned to go hiking alone, but his parents insisted that he go with someone. Creps volunteered to go, John Stewart said.

“He was quite the hero. He did everything possible to save Kyle. We are really grateful,” John Stewart said.

Stewart has undergone one surgery and is expected to have another on Monday, John Stewart said.

Cards can be sent to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, 1055 N. Curtis Road, Boise 83705.