Woman, 74, Found Hanging Onto Tree After Falling Down 30ft Embankment While Hiking

A 74-year-old hiker was found hanging onto a tree at the weekend after she fell about 30 feet down an embankment in Colorado.

The woman, from Boulder, fell down the embankment on Saturday while she was walking along Bear Canyon Trail, according to The Sacramento Bee.

Rescuers were sent out after another person reported the incident on the 6.3-mile-long trail.

When the team arrived, they found the woman clinging to the tree, according to the newspaper.

A spokesperson from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office told the Bee: "A ranger from the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks was first to arrive and found the hiker on the hillside [hanging] onto a tree."

Rescuers secured the hiker in place with a rope and then carried her back up the hill on a litter—a stretcher with a raised edge and fastening straps.

The sheriff's office spokesperson told the newspaper the rescue operation took about two hours and the hiker was transported to a hospital in Boulder.

Newsweek has contacted the Boulder County Sheriff's Office for comment.

Hikers in Colorado are encouraged to prepare and to notify friends and family before setting out.

The Colorado Trail Foundation makes several recommendations to hikers, including:

  • If possible, travel with a companion or group for safety
  • Get in shape before the journey
  • Share your hiking plan with friends and family
  • If you are alone and become injured on a trail, remain on the path and wait for someone to arrive
  • Be aware that cellphone coverage is "spotty" but the 911 system can be sometimes accessed despite cell service
  • Learn basic first aid
  • Do not push yourself, especially in rugged terrain
  • Store food out of reach of wild animals or in bear-proof containers
  • When choosing a campsite, evaluate visible risks, particularly for possible flooding or hazard trees
  • Frequently assess your wellbeing.

Despite these warnings, a number of hikers have got into difficulties while out on the Colorado trails.

In September, a University of Colorado-Boulder student had to be rescued after he fell 45 feet down an abandoned mine shaft.

The 19-year-old was not injured, but needed help to get out.

In a bizarre incident earlier this month, a hiker who went missing on Mount Elbert, Colorado's highest peak, ignored repeated calls from a search-and-rescue team because they came from an unknown number.

Lake County Search and Rescue said the hiker, who had not returned to his lodgings when expected, had had no idea a team was out looking for him.

Stock image of a hiker
Stock image of a hiker crossing a bridge in the Annapurna region of the Himalayas. Popartic/Getty

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