Newlywed who fell into Caribbean volcano on honeymoon back in the U.S., family says

A couple is safely stateside after being stranded in the Caribbean when their honeymoon took an unexpected turn, they say.

Clay and Acaimie Chastain decided to climb a dormant volcano while on their honeymoon in St. Kitts last week, Clay wrote in a Facebook post.

The couple had tackled the two-mile hike up Mount Liamuiga when Clay told his new wife that he wanted to see the greenery inside the volcano’s crater, the Indy Star reported.

Clay said the trail into the crater was lined with rope but that the rope snapped under his weight.

“One second I’m climbing, the next second the world is spinning, and I can hear her calling down to me,” Clay said, according to the newspaper.

Clay said he fell between 50 and 70 feet at what he estimates to be more than a 60-degree incline.

Acaimie sprang to action.

“My wife Acaimie is extremely strong and managed to help me back up out of the volcano crater and down the trail up its side until we got signal,” he said.

Clay said he was collapsing and vomiting blood for the entire trek. It took the couple more than two hours to reach the bottom, Clay being 60 pounds heavier than his bride, WISH reported.

“She’s absolutely incredible. Her being able to carry me all the way down a volcano when I can barely stand up is amazing, and it’s definitely nothing short of a miracle,” Clay said, according to the TV station.

Clay and Acaimie were stranded in St. Kitts for nearly a week because of his injuries. Clay suffered a fractured vertebrae, a concussion and a skull fracture, which resulted in an air pocket on his skull, WTHR reported.

Upon returning to the United States, doctors discovered Clay is leaking spinal fluid from his brain, according to an update on a GoFundMe account set up for the couple. A drain will be placed in his skull for the next few days. The couple is at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, according to the update.

Initially, Clay said doctors wouldn’t let him fly because of the effect high altitudes could have on the air pocket. After receiving more than $35,000 in donations, the couple was able to charter an air ambulance that carried the couple back to the United States, according to the post on GoFundMe.

This story was originally published July 25, 2019 at 5:10 PM with the headline "Newlywed who fell into Caribbean volcano on honeymoon back in the U.S., family says."