Runner Training For Ultra Rescued In The Wild

She fell through an ice bridge into a freezing creek.

A Squaw Valley hiker who was out training for an ultra marathon at the Sequoia National Park had to be rescued this week. The 52-year-old woman had apparently fallen from an icy snow bridge into an icy cold creek below her. Hikers found her three hours later suffering from hypothermia.

She was ultimately able to walk away from the scene.

According to a report about the incident in the Los Angeles Times, after the women fell into the creek, five feet of snow collapsed on top of her.

The creek’s current pulled her 40 feet downstream until she was able to stop herself from drifting further–the snow from the collapsed bridge still on top of her. She then dug through the snow and tossed her backpack out of the hole. A passing group of hikers saw her backpack and came to her aid.

“She is extremely lucky another group was passing by when she threw her backpack,” said park’s spokeswoman Dana Dierkes. “There were other hikers at the park, but this was really good timing.”

For More: L.A. Times