On August 8, 1975, when he was 26 years old, the 'A Country Boy Can Survive' singer and his friend went hiking along rugged terrain near Ajax Lake in search of goats.
Williams unfortunately slipped and fell about 500 feet. According to a story from The Associated Press, he sustained "serious head injuries as he struck jutting rocks."
The accident reportedly not just injured his head but had scars on his face, too, and the scars are still visible.
The injuries were so painful and deep that Williams could not help himself get up; hence, he was first assisted by his friend, and later a helicopter was called to take him to the hospital.
To be specific, the helicopter was forced to land about a quarter of a mile away from the accident scene. The rescue then took six hours, with six men carrying Williams to the helicopter, which flew him to the nearest Missoula Community Hospital.
There, he spent over seven hours in surgery — led by a team of five doctors — for head and facial injuries.
