Hiker Survived Frigid Night After Falling Down Mountain By Clinging to Tree

A woman was rescued after falling from a mountain peak while hiking in the Adirondack Mountains in New York.

Hope Lloyd, 46, was hiking on the summit of South Dix Mountain on Dec. 26 when she slipped and fell on several hundred feet of snow and slippery rock, according to the Associated Press. Lloyd told the newspaper that she managed to grab hold of a spruce that prevented her from sliding off the cliff. She was then able to call the authorities for help around 5:30 p.m

“It’s the only thing that saved me,” Lloyd told the AP on Wednesday. “If I was a little to the left or a little to the right, I wouldn’t be here now.”

An experienced mountaineer, Lloyd was alone on the 4,060-foot mountain and survived the night waiting for forest rangers to rescue her.

“I thought I froze to death. There were 45 mph winds up there,” Lloyd said.

A mountaineer was rescued 12 hours after his knee got stuck in a cliff crack

Adirondack Mountains.

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Ranger Jamison Martin described the conditions — wet and below 30 degrees — as “brutal” in a video detailing the rescue. He added that Lloyd was at risk of hypothermia. He also said Lloyd has completed all 46 Adirondack Mountain peaks twice before, and this was her third round.

“She was lucky all those other times,” he said. “It’s no joke out there. They will kill you.”

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According to Martin, Lloyd was carrying an emergency blanket, which helped protect her from the cold, and authorities told her to move her body to create warmth while she waited. About eight hours after she made the 911 call, rangers arrived with food to keep her warm as they made their way back to her vehicle.

“I feel extremely grateful. “I’m extremely grateful,” Lloyd, who suffered only scratches and bruises, told the AP. “I just want to hug everyone.”

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Source: HIS Education