Rescue Rangers

Today was Saturday - my husband and I went for a hike. Huge mistake. This was supposed to be my R&R after working 12 hour days all week (staffing shortages etc). So off we go to a local trail with a waterfall at the top. A lovely cool, sunny day - perfect for a nice long walk in the countryside. Half way up we encounter a young lady running down the trail. She asks us for a working cell phone. Cell reception is very poor in the mountains. We didnt have a phone with us anyway. She said, "There is a woman up there who has fallen and can't move." Oh great. We keep on going and find a largeish lady lying on her side on a heap of wicked looking branches at the bottom of the waterfall, half in the water. She had hiked up - ALONE - and then for reasons best known to herself had tried to walk ACROSS the top of the running waterfall - the rocks were smooth, slick and mossy - over she went - and fell a good 50 feet. Her head was bloody and brusied but she was conscious. I was hoping she wasn't impaled on a branch anywhere and luckily she wasnt. She was really unable to move and probably shouldn't be trying anyway. I did get her to wiggle her toes and move her hands though. We stayed with her - me sitting half in the COLD water with her, watching her pulse and level of consciousness. More hikers showed up and kindly stayed to assist with getting her down the mountain. Luckily there were lots of young strong men. Finally the paramedics arrived - someone had driven out until they got a cell phone signal. There were 3 nurses in the group of hikers that had assembled - including me! I told the injured party this was extremely fortunate for her. One was a Peds ICU nurse and one was a Psych nurse who said she wouldn't be much use unless she had anxiety or PTSD already. The paramedics got her on a backboard and all the men around took turns doing hand over hand in a human chain to get her down the mountain. We ladies walked ahead and passed a bunch of hikers going up. We told them NOT to fall off the waterfall, as we were NOT coming back. One mountain rescue a day filled our quota. A chopper showed up and landed in a nearby field to fly her to a trauma unit. The other 2 nurses and I had a quick bitch about it being our day off and how you can never get away from it. Then we all took off. I have been calling my husband Rescue Ranger ever since. He was helping them carry her down and found it all quite exciting.