Reno Fire Department Battalion Chief Seth WIlliams said that the “It could have been a very different outcome,” if the hiker did not find her when he did, KOLO News reported.
A 64-year-old woman that had been missing was found clinging to a tree off a road by a hiker who had been walking in the area, officials said, according to published news reports.
The woman, identified as Gayle Stewart, was found around 9 p.m. on Monday night near the Pinebluff Trail in Reno, Nevada. She was located down a steep rocky wet slope, according to the Reno Police Department, News4 and Fox11 reported.
The police had been looking for Stewart and had asked the public for help after she went missing on Monday morning. She was last seen at her home in the Caughlin Ranch area around 8 a.m. on Monday, according to the authorities, the news outlet reported.
The hiker miraculously spotted Stewart 300 to 400 feet away and called 911.
When police, REMSA, and fire officials arrived around 9:12 p.m., they were able to rescue Stewart using ropes and a basket, and within 30 minutes she was pulled to safety, according to KOLO ABC8 News.
She appeared to be uninjured, but was taken to a local hospital for treatment, a report said.
Reno Fire Department Battalion Chief Seth Williams said that “It could have been a very different outcome,” if the hiker did not find her when he did, KOLO reported
“That’s what I told the young man that found her. I said that’s truly a lifesaver,” Williams said. “With the rain and the snow coming tonight she’s already been exposed for the better part of 12 hours.”
According to the authorities Stewart is expected to make a full recovery.
