On the evening of Saturday, February 24th, a 37-year-old woman was hiking with five friends on the connector trail between the Kaiser and Copper Mine trails. One of her friends fell and needed assistance in getting up. The woman, who was wearing crampons, reached down the slope to help him, but fell head first as she was doing so. She slid down the steep slope for 60 to 100 feet, hitting several trees on the way down and coming to rest against a large tree. Two EMT’s who were hiking with her responded immediately. They determined that she’d sustained serious injuries, including a possible broken femur, broken arm and head and internal injuries. Rangers responded and a lengthy rescue operation ensued. Due to the steep slope and icy conditions, all had to wear crampons and employ safety lines. The woman was extricated and transported to a landing zone where a medevac helicopter picked her up and took her to a hospital in Morristown, New Jersey.
