- Jacque Tietjen, an experienced hiker, suffered a severe fall at Bridal Veil Falls.
- Two hikers found her unconscious, following a blood trail, and provided aid.
- She is hospitalized with brain bleeds and fractures; family praises rescuers as heroes.
SARATOGA SPRINGS — The family of a Saratoga Springs woman critically injured during a solo hike at Bridal Veil Falls is thankful to two strangers they believe may have saved her life.
Relatives say Jacque Tietjen, an experienced hiker and mountaineer, was out on the trail Tuesday evening when she suffered a severe fall. Her sister‑in‑law, Katherine Tietjen, said the family believes she may have slipped and hit her head or she was hit by falling rocks.
"This isn't new to her. She's been in dangerous conditions," Katherine Tietjen said. "She's been on thousands of hikes, and this was just the one where something went wrong."
Katherine Tietjen said Jacque Tietjen was found at the bottom of a 45‑degree slope. Two hikers came across a trail of blood and discovered her unconscious, roughly an hour to an hour and a half after the fall.
"They took care of her, wrapped their coats around her, tried to get her body temperature up," she said.
Life Flight crews transported Jacque Tietjen to Utah Valley Hospital, where doctors discovered multiple brain bleeds, a significant skull fracture and facial fractures, as well as several scrapes and bruises. She is currently intubated and sedated while medical teams monitor swelling.
"It will take a few days for the brain to show what it's going to do," Katherine Tietjen said. "They're monitoring her brain right now to see the swelling and monitor the swelling. 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."
Jacque Tietjen's family emphasized her extensive outdoor experience — including mountaineering expeditions in places like Mount Everest — but said her accident is a reminder that no one is immune to the risks of nature.
They urge hikers to take basic precautions: avoid going alone, tell someone your plan and steer clear of unsafe areas.
The family is grateful to the two hikers they call heroes.
"The fact that they not just noticed that, but had the inclination to follow it and to investigate, that potentially has saved her life," Katherine Tietjen said, regarding the blood trail. "Our family is so grateful. There are no words to (describe) how grateful we are to those men."
Katherine Tietjen set up a GoFundMe* to help her brother with medical expenses.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
