Urban explorer aged just eighteen critically ill after falling TWENTY stories while exploring disused grain elevator and landing on beam

By EMMA RICHTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 17:49, 6 August 2026 | Updated: 17:49, 6 August 2026 A young urban explorer has been left in critical condition after falling about twenty stories from an abandoned grain elevator in Minnesota.  Ash Ranallo, whose full name is Lilly Maria 'Ash' Ronallo-Korbel, and several others trespassed inside a disused property known as the Checkerboard Grain Elevator in Minneapolis on Monday around 8.30pm, police said.  The 18-year-old, who goes by male pronouns, landed on a beam outside of the grain elevator after plunging, the Minneapolis Police Department said.  The Minneapolis Fire Department used a truck ladder to reach the Ash and provided medical emergency care at the scene before he was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, officials stated.  'This is an individual out having fun, seeking adventure and made a bad decision that resulted in life-threatening injuries. It is miraculous that [the teen] is alive,' Sgt. Garrett Parten said during a press conference on the incident.  Ash, who appears to frequently participate in daring activities according to his social media pages, is now fighting for his life after his heart stopped for about 20 minutes at the hospital, his mother, Nicole Emery, said in an update on Tuesday.   Nicole said her child also received six to eight units of blood during an exploratory procedure that has left him with a large incision from his chest down to his pelvis.  Since being in the ICU, Ash has received six more units of blood. He is also on life support, his devastated mother shared on Caringbridge.  Ash Ranallo, 18, suffered life-threatening injuries after falling about 20 stories from a grain elevator in Minneapolis on Monday night The 18-year-old landed on a beam outside of the grain elevator after plunging, the Minneapolis Police Department said 'I am shattered. This is my worst nightmare. I do not want Ash in pain, and I am scared of losing my precious and beautiful child.  'We just need prayers, that is all. I believe in the power of prayer, and I also believe that this is in God’s will, not mine. I’m so grateful for so many things right now, and I’m praying that Ash is not in any pain,' she added.  In an update on Wednesday, Nicole said Ash is no longer being sedated and that doctors have 'cut his pain meds down significantly.'  Ash has still not responded to pain or commands, and is 'on a fairly significant amount of fentanyl,' she added.  He's undergone multiple surgeries so far, including getting pins in each of his legs and another procedure that saw him get external braces drilled into his legs.  Ash also had to have a surgery that saw doctors 'clean out the pooling blood in his abdomen,' Nicole said.  According to his mother, doctors have kept his abdomen open with a barrier on top to avoid opening and closing him up again.  A feeding tube has also been placed in his body, and he broke his collar bone and dislocated portions of his shoulder area, his mother detailed.  According to Ash's Instagram and TikTok pages, he often explores abandoned, rundown buildings He now fighting for his life after his heart stopped for about 20 minutes at the hospital, his mother, Nicole Emery (pictured together), said in an update on Tuesday A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help raise money for Ash and his family.  Ash had just graduated from high school before the incident, and he 'was looking forward to the next chapter of life,' the fundraiser read.  'Ash is a talented artist, a dedicated worker, and someone whose contagious smile and sympathetic soul brighten every room,' it continued. According to Ash's Instagram and TikTok pages, he often explores abandoned, rundown buildings.  In one video posted on July 6, he recorded a tall building from the street before panning to a shot of him appearing to sit on top of it.  Throughout the clip, he was seen standing on the very edge of the building's roof, and did not appear to be wearing any safety harnesses or equipment.  Residents who live near the abandoned site said they've been making numerous calls to the police over the years due to an influx of people exploring and climbing it.  'Something terrible in that elevator happened. It's an issue that we knew was going to happen, Vox Payne, a local, told CBS News. Ash had just graduated from high school before the incident, and he 'was looking forward to the next chapter of life'  'We've talked about it plenty with the city, and with other neighbors, and with the police, and we kept warning them something terrible is going to happen, we know something is.  'And sure enough, the first thing we thought of when we heard those screams were the teenagers are up there. Something bad happened,' Payne added.  There were about 80 incidents involving urban exploring in the police department's first and second precincts last year, Parten told the outlet.  'It's sad because the reality is, this is an individual out having fun, seeking adventure, and made a bad decision that resulted in life-changing injuries,' he said.  'But while they are seeking fun and adventure, what they're doing is illegal and extremely dangerous.'  In the past, people involved in incidents like this have been charged with misdemeanor trespassing to felony damage to property, Parten added. It is unclear if Ash will face charges.  The investigation into what happened remains ongoing, Parten said.