A New York woman nearly lost her life after shattering part of her skull on a solo hike in Washington, but was rescued by a pair of Good Samaritans who followed a trail of her blood to find her.
Jacque Tietijen, of Saratoga Springs, ventured out to Bridal Veil Falls in Washington for a routine hiking trip last week.
The veteran mountaineer has bested trails on the world’s most treacherous peaks, including Mount Everest, so the trek to Washington didn’t raise any red flags, her family told KSL TV.
But while scaling the falls on Feb. 3, Jacque took a tumble. Her sister-in-law, Katherine Tietijen, told the outlet they suspect she either slipped and hit her head or was struck by falling rocks.
Two other hikers on the waterfall pass came across a trail of blood that led them right to Jacque, who lay unconscious at the bottom of a 45-degree slope.
“They took care of her, wrapped their coats around her, tried to get her body temperature up,” Katherine told the local publication.
Jacque was airlifted to Utah Valley Hospital, where she is still being treated for multiple brain bleeds, significant skull and facial fractures, and a minimal tear of the carotid artery, according to a GoFundMe posted by her family.
She had to be intubated while her medical team monitored swelling in her brain for “a few days,” Katherine said.
“If it starts to swell too much, they will have to do emergency surgery and take a piece out of her skull to give the brain space to expand,” Katherine explained.
The family is hailing the two hikers who rescued Jacque as heroes and credited them with likely saving her life.
“The fact that they not just noticed that, but had the inclination to follow [Jacque’s blood] and to investigate, that potentially has saved her life. Our family is so grateful. There are no words to how grateful we are to those men,” Katherine told the outlet.
The Tietijens were stunned by Jacque’s confounding accident, given her extensive experience “on thousands of hikes.”
On the GoFundMe, which was just $600 away from its goal Sunday evening, highlighted Jacque’s “deep love for the outdoors” and deep connection “to nature.”
“We know she will fight with everything she has to be able to return to her family and all the things she loves,” her family wrote.
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