A 63-year-old woman was left with only bruises after managing to survive a 300-foot fall down a Washington mountain Friday.
Rebecca Holley, from Hillsboro, Oregon, was hiking with friends along Dog Mountain, one of the most difficult hikes in the area, according to KATU News. Holley and her group managed to reach the mountain’s peak, but on her way back down, she slipped, causing her to fall approximately 300 feet off the mountain’s edge.
“Upon arrival to the patient’s location, rescue personnel found the injured hiker unconscious and unresponsive,” the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. “Due to the steep terrain and medical condition of the injured hiker, a U.S. Army medical helicopter was utilized to hoist and recover the patient.”
Holley was transported by helicopter to a local medical center after sustaining injuries, the sheriff’s office noted.
In an interview with KATU, Holley’s bruises and scratches were still visible on her face and arms. (RELATED: Scientist Falls 500 Feet To His Death After Hiking App Allegedly Sent Him The Wrong Way).
“One minute, I’m stumbling all over. Next thing, I’m over the edge,” Holley told KATU.
Holley recalled her thoughts during the fall in the interview, “I need to grab hold of something to stop me and all the way down, I’m like, ‘God stop me. stop me.'”
An emergency room nurse was at the scene and helped stabilize Holley after the fall as they awaited the authorities, she told the outlet. She said she felt lucky the nurse was there to help.
“I think she ended up being there for like four hours. It took a while,” she told KATU.
The trail at Dog Mountain has an approximate elevation gain of 2,900 feet and a trail length of six miles, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office noted in the Facebook post.
The sheriff’s office advises those hiking this trail to be aware of the terrain as well as their physical limitations, further advising those to be well-equipped for hiking.
