Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Harrowing 7-Hour Rescue of Wedged Hiker

In a frightening episode and one of the unforeseen dangers of venturing outdoors, a woman got stuck upside down between rocks for seven hours when she tried to retrieve her phone, which had fallen.

The incident happened in a popular hiking area that has some of the most difficult trails and great views. This avid hiker woman was having one of those days on the trails when her phone fell from her grasp and into a narrow crevice between two huge boulders. Determined to retrieve her device, she managed to carefully position herself into the tight space but soon found herself fast, unable to move either way.

She was upside down, wedged into such an awfully precarious situation where her head and shoulders caught between the immovable rocks. As daylight started to dwindle, so did the temperature rise in anxiety for the hiker. Fortunately, she had been able to call for help before losing signal, and a rescue operation was promptly activated.
It was a very laborious and sensitive operation, taking into consideration the difficult terrain and the uncomfortable position of the hiker. An emergency team comprising mountain rescue specialists, paramedics, and firefighters rolled onto the scene. They spent a night under the worst conditions, reaching tirelessly into their bag of special equipment and techniques in efforts to painstakingly extricate the hiker from the prison of rock holding her hostage.
After seven very long hours, the woman was finally freed—cold, exhausted, but incredibly only with minor injuries. She was taken to a nearby hospital for observation and treatment.
Quite a sobering reminder about wilderness safety, using caution—even in familiar surroundings. The need to retrieve an item that has been lost is understood; however, a degree of personal safety should not be compromised by taking an unnecessary risk.

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