Office of Emergency Management, San Juan County Colorado Facebook
Missing Hiker Rescued after Train Passenger Spots Call for Help
By Abigail Adams
After spending two nights in the Colorado wilderness, an injured woman was rescued after a passenger on a train spotted her calling for help.
The woman, identified by authorities as a "20 something female from the Aztec New Mexico Area," was rescued after spending " two nights in the wilderness ," according to a Facebook post from the Office of Emergency Management for San Juan County, Colorado.
During a day hike on the Colorado Trail in the Deer Park area, she "left the trail" and was walking along the Animas riverbank when she "fell" and "broke her leg," authorities said.
D&SNG Superintendent Darren Whitten told reporters that the victim fell from a cliff-face while taking pictures , according to The Durango Herald.
After the second night, the woman "managed to get herself to a visual spot" along the riverbank and "flagged down the morning's first train," the Office of Emergency Management wrote.
"Once the train passenger noticed the distressed woman across the river on the bank, they alerted train staff who then initiated an emergency response," the authorities added.
Crews from Silverton Medical Rescue arrived at the scene a short time later, and helped rig a trolley-like system to transport the injured victim to a location where she could more easily be reached by helicopter.
She was then airlifted to Montrose Hospital, according to the San Juan County OEM.
The hiker was first reported missing by her parents on Saturday, Witten told the Herald.
In the wilderness, she faced tough conditions as temperatures dropped into the 20's overnight , according to CBS affiliate KCNC-TV.
"It's an amazing feat that she survived two nights in the cold snap we are having," said emergency management spokeswoman DeAnne Gallegos, per the Herald. "Our team thought that was pretty miraculous."
The team was also impressed that the victim "was aware the train was still running," and managed to get someone's attention after crawling to the bank of the river with her injured leg, Gallegos told the newspaper.
Kylah Breeden, a conductor and fireman on the train, said the victim "was clearly injured" and "really cold" when rescuers arrived at the scene, according to CBS affiliate KCNC-TV.
The San Juan County OEM applauded rescuers' efforts in its statement shared on Facebook.
They went on to thank the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad "for their support and partnership in this successful search and rescue mission."
"Another person in a moment of need was successfully brought home due to teamwork and collaboration," the office wrote on Facebook. - People
