A nurse from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., survived a 100-foot fall from a cliff while hiking in Cane Beds, Ariz. She was found by rescuers more than 24 hours after the fall, according to CBS Minnesota.
"I think it was an initial 12-foot drop and then I just kept rolling so when I woke up it was dark and I was alone for about 28 hours by myself," Amber Kohnhorst, RN, told CBS Minnesota.
In agonizing pain, Ms. Kohnhorst attempted to climb her way out of the canyon after the fall. According to the Post-Bulletin, the Mayo Clinic nurse made it 50 feet back up the canyon until the terrain became too rough. During this period, the gravity of the situation set in.
"I took pictures of myself and I sent messages to my parents because I thought if I was going to die I wanted them to have a goodbye. So I wrote letters to my parents and I just waited. I couldn't escape the canyon," said Ms. Kohnhorst.
A team of 100 rescuers was searching for her at this time. Ms. Kohnhorst was found on Saturday evening more than 24 hours after the fall.
"When I finally realized it was them and it wasn't my imagination I started blowing my whistle like crazy. Thank God I had the rescue team I did, they had the training. They pulled me out in a rope harness, it took seven hours," Ms. Kohnhorst told CBS Minnesota.
Ms. Kohnhorst broke her back during the fall. She's been informed by physicians that it will be six weeks before she can walk again and her recovery period will be three months.
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