Rescued Ellensburg skier to have his lower legs amputated

By Michael Ko
Seattle Times staff reporter

	Dan Witkowski
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The surgery will begin around noon, and last between three to four hours, said hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg-Hanson.

Frostbite severely damaged Witkowski's feet after he became lost in the backcountry near the Alpental ski area on New Year's Eve. He had skiied that area before but that dayhe dropped down by himself into an unfamiliar chute.

Search crews found him the afternoon of Jan. 4, delirious and dehydrated, huddling next to a tree well.

Witkowski, 25, was released from the hospital several weeks later. Able to talk about his experience and walk on his own, doctors hoped the tissue in his extremities would heal itself.

At the time, his hands and feet appeared charred black.

"His hands are perfect, but his feet never came back," said his mother, Maryann Witkowski, this morning from her Ellensburg home. She said doctors will amputate both legs right below the calf. Last Friday, doctors amputated the front three-quarters of Witkowski's feet, hoping that the back parts of his feet could be saved.

But "his heels never came back," Maryann Witkowski said, "and they had to do it because they were afraid of infection coming in."

She said her son will have to stay in the hospital for another week if the surgery goes well. Doctors are projecting it will take about 18 months before Dan Witkowski is able to walk with prosthetics.

"But I think it will be sooner," Maryann Witkowski said. "It's an inspiration just to be around him. He's never said 'poor me.' He just wants to get out of the hospital and get on with his life. He doesn't like to be confined."

Michael Ko: 206-515-5653 or mko@seattletimes.com

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