A woman is being treated for serious injuries after she fell down a cliff while hiking in the mountains of Southern Oregon, and was hoisted out after a 12-hour rescue effort.
According to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard, the 42-year-old woman, whom they did not identify, was hiking with a companion near Grayback Mountain, a peak in the Siskiyou Mountains, west of Ashland. The Coast Guard responded to a call around 9 p.m. Monday after a report that the woman had fallen about 50 feet, and was seriously injured.
A helicopter crew from the Coast Guard’s North Bend sector arrived at the scene around 11 p.m., and lowered a rescue swimmer to give the woman immediate medical care. Because of challenging weather and difficult terrain, they waited several hours to hoist her out of the area.
The rescue swimmer stayed with the woman and cared for her overnight, until an Oregon Army National Guard helicopter arrived and hoisted the woman out shortly before noon the next day. The woman and another hiker, who was not injured, were taken to Medford so she could receive medical care. The Coast Guard did not provide an update on her condition as of Wednesday evening.
The Coast Guard advised people recreating in the Pacific Northwest to prepare for emergencies by wearing proper clothing and shoes, taking enough water and having a reliable way to reach first responders in case of an emergency.
