Hiker rescued, appeared to have broken leg

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ARCATA, Calif. (KIEM)-A female hiking in the Arcata Community Forest over the weekend was rescued after she suffered from what appeared to be a broken leg.

Battalion Chief Sean Campbell with the Arcata Fire District was on scene.

“The company officer contacted me so that I can respond with our side-by-side utility vehicle and I headed that way as the crews began hiking in with equipment,” he said. “They were able to locate the hiker. We loaded her up and she was taken to a nearby hospital.”

According to Campbell the hiker was in good spirits and is expected to be OK, how the hiker was injured is still unknown at this time.

She was on the trail which according to Campbell, is not normally the case when a hikers need to be rescued. 

More often than not first responders will perform rescues off trails and in obscure or in complicated terrain.

Campbell says the hiker took all the necessary precautions when she ventured out into nature.

“She did everything she could do, she had a cellphone, she was hiking with a friend, obviously you don’t want to go hiking alone and if you do want a means of communicating with the outside world,” said Campbell. “Worst case scenario, at least a timeline of when you’re starting, when you’re stopping and what your route is going to be.

“We do have some ability to ping cell phones when 911 however that is not always 100% reliable.”

Campbell says his crew executed the rescue flawlessly which enabled first responders to find the hiker swiftly and get her the medical care she needed.

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