(NEWSER) – A hiker who spent a night stranded in the Colorado wilderness with a broken leg made it out alive after managing to flag down a passing train. The female hiker in her 20s had been reported missing Sunday after failing to return from a day hike on the Colorado Trail near Silverton. The New Mexico woman had become lost then fell an estimated 90 feet from a cliff face. After losing consciousness, she awoke to a broken leg and concussion, reports the Durango Herald. In a move that might have saved her life, she crawled to the bank of the icy Animas River, which would put her in view of trains passing along the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad on the opposite bank.
As the first train sped by Monday morning, a single passenger spotted the woman, who was waving wildly but only visible from a very limited angle, and alerted the crew. The crew in turn notified Delton Henry, who was following the train in the inspection motor car and called out to the hiker, learning she was unable to move. D&SNG Superintendent Darren Whitten then called 911 and was informed a hiker was overdue “and that her parents had been frantically looking for her,” he tells the Herald. More help arrived on a second train, 45 minutes after the first. Husband and wife Nick and Kylah Breeden, the train’s engineer and fireman, who are also medics, waded across the fast-flowing river, at times submerged up to their chests in icy water, per the Herald and KUSA.
“She was in pretty rough shape,” Whitten tells the Herald of the hiker, who was not only cold and dehydrated but had a “visibly offset” leg. Rescuers eventually rigged a trolley system that carried the hiker across the river, where a helicopter took her to a hospital. That she survived the cold night without proper gear or clothing, “was aware the train was still running, and managed with a broken leg to crawl to the bank of the river to try and signal them” was “pretty miraculous,” DeAnne Gallegos of San Juan County’s Office of Emergency Management tells the Herald. But she “owes her recovery” to the train crew, who “were the rock stars of this situation.” Also deserving of some credit is the passenger who spotted the hiker; the railroad covered the cost of her ticket in gratitude.
Great story! Amazing what the spirit can endure to survive!
She’s lucky. Most people are on their phones totally unaware of their surroundings.
How about heaping some ridicule on the dumbass hiker who thought it was a good idea to go out by herself?
Sorry but this is one (of many) of my pet peeves, stupid people being where they shouldn’t be and expecting the authorities, at great cost and risk themselves, to go save their ass; surfers that ignore storm warnings or un-trained sailers extending out to sea past their abilities and expect the Coast guard to come to the rescue, hikers without a map or a compass going “exploring” or ignoring weather conditions and putting themselves in peril.
I’ve always been in favor of an investigation for every “rescue” and if it reveals carelessness or disregard for common safety, they get the bill for recompense.
Everybody in the story was names…except the passenger responsible for spotting the hiker.
named. Was named. ^^^ where the hell are my glasses?
Our family has been on the train that goes from Durango to Silverton, across the Animas river. It’s beautiful country, but it would be difficult to spot a single hiker — even one waving wildly — among the overall vista of water and forest. One could easily miss them or think they were merely waving at the passing train and its (mostly tourist) occupants. She’s a blessed gal! 90 feet is a long fall.
No hiking alone in the wilderness!
@Different Tim – “…She’s lucky. Most people are on their phones totally unaware of their surroundings…”
Under normal conditions you are correct, but I’ve been on that train before and it is an incredibly scenic trip. As such, you spend most if your time looking out the window. Her luck was that her accident occurred in that part of the mountains.
LOL! Me thinks that some Eagel-Eyed reader or administrator spotted a typo.
Yes, she does deserve some of the credit. Is it a stretch to think that this was more about her than the injured hiker?
Rich – I agree, going out by yourself in that area is not a good idea. Have I done, and do I do that occasionally? Yes. Should I be shamed if something happens? Absolutely.
“some credit?” WTH, I give all the credit to the passenger who saw her. The crew were doing what they were paid to do. I’d be owing my life to that passenger.
Why do so many hikers seem to fall down a ninety-foot cliff? There seems to be a flood of stories lately about people falling over a cliff and needing to be rescued. I hunted elk many years in the wilderness near where this happened and never managed to fall over a cliff. I’ll bet a cell phone was involved in some way. Situational awareness is key when alone in the wilderness.
Rich Taylor
We have a dam about 15 miles from us. They start sounding the alarm at 30 minutes with more frequency up until constant alarm at 5 minutes when they’re opening the dam.
We hear it, so there is no way idiots below the dam fishing can’t hear it. Yet every year(except this one it’s been to dry and they haven’t opened it at all) every single time they open the dam at least one idiot has to be rescued.
Chaps my behind every single time, why should rescue teams have to rescue them at risks to their lives and money it costs all of us. One year a rescue guy drowned trying to get to one.
IMHO they should at least have to pay the costs of rescuing them, but I’d prefer they suffer the consequences of their stupidity.
Well, I’m certainty not the most religious person here, but that was the hand of God. Give him credit.
People may love nature, but nature never loves you back. Keep your wits about you, don’t go alone, stay armed and take some common sense supplies. Oh yeah don’t forget the common Sense part, bring that too.
Rich what state do you live in?
Here in the NW everything is up hill.
The Columbia gorge has 1500 feet per mile inclines on most hikes you just have to be careful. Plus are rocks are basalt not sandstone or limestone.
Moss and rainfall make the trails slippery all year long. Know your area and you will be fine.
That is a small gorge compared to what we have here.
And yes I hunt elk, you go out all the time into deep canyons in search of game. But I have to agree she was dumb.
Agreed Different Tim, if a woman had a stack of 45 pound plates on top of her at the gym I go to nobody would notice because of their damn cell phones.
All the people here that like to wear Christ on their sleeve there was one that mentioned she was blessed. An amazing story and a one in a million shot. We’ve all done stupid shit. This is why guys like me auto shy away from the religious zealots. Just how religious are you?
If she were hiking with a buddy, there’d been two people stranded in the woods with broken legs.