A North Hollywood woman has said she was "so happy" to see rescuers after being trapped overnight in the Sequoia National Forest.
Sam Wilson was hoisted to safety by a rescue helicopter last Friday after being trapped with just a light jacket to keep her warm and half a granola bar to eat.
The 33-year-old had suffered a compound fracture in her shoulder, severe cuts across wrist and scrapes on her stomach after tumbling 35 feet into water below when trying to recover a bag she had dropped while hiking. Despite being an experienced hiker, she found it impossible to escape as she was located next to a shear rock wall near a waterfall.
"I knew my legs were OK because I was able to stand up but (when) I looked at my arm, (it) was hanging quite low," Wilson said. "I thought that I had picked it up to my chest but it was still hanging so I knew immediately it was broken… and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get out."
Despite being armed with a distress whistle, the loud waterfall made it impossible for people to hear, and she was forced to huddle up in a ball to stay warm as she waited overnight.
The next day she was finally found by some hikers at 3 p.m, and they got in touch with emergency services, and a helicopter was sent out to save her.
Wilson was full of praise for the parks department and California Highway Patrol officers for coming to her rescue.
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"I was so happy to see those guys. I said, 'Man, for somebody you never want to see, you are so happy when you see the rescue guys,'" Wilson said.