Woman Paralyzed by Spider Bite While Hiking Rescued After Last-Minute Phone Call

[...] she was unable to feel the skin on her legs and could not continue her hike down.

Inyo County Search-and-Rescue — Facebook post

On June 12, a woman was hiking out of the John Muir Trail when she was bitten by a spider. Paralyzed from the waist down, she managed to call for help and give her coordinates before her phone died.

Inyo County SAR, responding to the call, located and escorted her down the mountain. Officials described the rescue:

[...] rescuers slowly walked her down the tricky section of the trail while ensuring her safety with ropes, then transferred her into the wheeled litter where the trail became stable.

Mount Whitney Warning

Inyo County officials, having dealt with two hiker deaths last month, urge hikers to power their phones adequately when adventuring, or better yet, carry a satellite messaging device.

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