A train passenger was gazing out the window of Colorado’s Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad when they spotted an injured hiker.
Little did they know that the 20-something-year-old woman had already spent two nights in the wilderness waiting for help. It was through a coordinated effort that the woman was able to survive.
“It’s incredible she survived,” DeAnne Gallegos, a spokesperson for the San Juan County OEM, said of the hiker. “She had no food, very little water, no other survival gear. She only had shorts and a tank top and survived in 20-something degree weather.”
According to a Facebook post from the San Juan County Office of Emergency Management, a woman in her 20s from New Mexico had been missing after hiking along the Colorado Trail in the Deer Park area.
She reportedly left the trail and went to the Animas riverbank where she fell and broke her leg. The day hiker was then forced to spend two nights in the wilderness. It wasn’t until after the second night that she was able to position herself in a spot where she was more visible.
Flagged down a train
The following morning a passenger on a passing train spotted her and alerted staff.
Two members of the staff, who were also trained medics, crossed the river and stayed with the injured hiker until more help arrived.
A search and rescue team had to be flown in by helicopter, and then the hiker was transported across the river via ropes. She was then flown to a local hospital while the search and rescue team left the area on a small train.
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“Another person in a moment of need was successfully brought home due to teamwork and collaboration.”
Thanks to the observant train passenger for spotting the injured hiker! You saved a woman’s life.
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