Woman fook fall, possible broken leg

May 27, 1998
Isomata/Grotto
1998-008

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RMRU was called to respond to the report of a young woman with a probable fractured lower extremity. She was in the rugged drainage of Strawberry Creek known to Idyllwild locals as The Grotto. Apparently, while hiking with companions, a large rock was dislodged, which then rolled over her leg. About 15 team members responded for this difficult carry out. The women was found on the far side of Strawberry Creek on a steep scree slope. Idyllwild Fire had already done a medical assessment and splinted the leg. Water levels were extremely high and it was very noisy. The noise, the wet rock, and the torturous terrain demanded constant belays. In spite of the manpower, and a relatively short distance to negotiate, it took three hours to get the women safely to a waiting ambulance. As it turned out, she did not have a broken limb.