A hiker who suffered a severe paralyzing bite managed to call for help just moments before her phone died on her.
In what can only be described as a miracle, a woman who had been left paralyzed by a bite in California's Sierra Nevada mountains was able to call for help just before her phone switched off.
According to a social media post published on Facebook by the Inyo County Search & Rescue team, the unnamed woman had taken the Taboose Pass out of the Sierra Nevada's John Muir Trail after encountering too much snow.
However, as she was collecting water to drink, she was bitten by what she believed to be a spider - but it has not yet been confirmed exactly what type of creature she actually came into contact with.
The bite left her paralyzed from the legs down, with the woman stating that she couldn't "feel the skin" on them but in a positive turn of events, she still managed to get to her phone just before it died, to call authorities and pass over her location.
"At around 6:30PM on Wednesday, June 12, Inyo SAR received a call-out for a hiker on Taboose Pass Trail who was unable to continue her descent from the pass," the post on Facebook read.
"The hiker had been section hiking northbound on the John Muir Trail, when she encountered too much snow for her comfort level on Mather Pass. Taboose Pass was the nearest exit out of the Sierra Nevada, so she took it."
It continued: "About 1.7 [miles] shy of the trailhead, the hiker went to fetch water from the creek when she reportedly got bitten by what she thought was a spider.
"Afterwards, she was unable to feel the skin on her legs and could not continue her hike down. She still managed to call for a rescue and relay her coordinates, then her phone battery died."
Rescuers were deployed to the area, though the journey back was still a difficult one due to the conditions in the area.
After being wheeled for 1.5 miles of the journey, the injured woman was forced to walk - while assisted, of course - for the last quarter of the trail, as per the report by officials.
The post concluded with a few helpful tips for other hikers who are planning on going into the area with the first urging them to bring a power bank for emergencies.
"Always bring a power bank for your phone, don’t use anything that can drain its battery, or – better yet – bring a satellite messaging device. About half of the emergency calls that SAR receives come from a person with a dying phone battery," the post stated before going on to relay that some trails are more difficult than others.
"While we’re talking about Taboose Pass trail, we’d like to remind everyone that Taboose, Sawmill, Baxter,and Shepherd Pass Trails are a lot less maintained as the rest of the trails in the Sierra. You might encounter very tricky sections and route-finding issues – not to mention very steep grades," the statement added.
While there was no update on the condition of the woman who was bitten, we hope that she is in a stable condition and managed to get the help she needed.
What a lucky escape!
