THUNDER BAY - A 20-year-old woman has been safely rescued after a harrowing five hours stuck on Mount McKay.
The woman and a friend were hiking along the face of the mountain shortly after noon Tuesday when she fell and slid down part of the face of the mountain.
Lisa Joynson, who was hiking with the woman, said they started on the west side of the mountain.
"We were going to try to cross over to get to the lookout and there was ice," Joynson said. "She went ahead of me and lost her footing and fell probably about 150, maybe 200 feet."
She then called 911 and firefighters and paramedics were dispatched.
In the meantime Joynson remained above her on the ledge, encouraing the woman to hang on.
"I just kept saying 'help is on the way.' She was like 'are you just saying that' but I told her that I called and they were coming," Joynson said.
"She was scared. She was starting to lose her muscle and thought she might just let go and keep falling. I told her to breathe, talk to me and tell me a story."
Emergency responders went to both the Mount McKay Scenic Lookout as well as a location on Quarry Road, which is nearly straight behind the City Road and James Street intersection.
Firefighters made their way to the woman's location on the face, helping stabilize her and ensure she would not fall any further.
She was then secured into a basket and two firefighters, with assistance from the top and bottom of the mountain, gradually lowered her to the base. There were a number of occassions when loose shale rocks could be heard falling down the slope.
Joynson said the woman had an injured ankle and also hurt her back when a large rock hit her during part of the rescue operation. She never lost consciousness.
She was taken by ambulance to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
