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MOUNT BALDY, Calif. (AP) — Officials say a woman is recovering after a harrowing rescue caught on tape when she slid down a snow-covered ridge while hiking in Southern California.
It happened Monday afternoon as 34-year-old Jennifer Fujita and her brother were hiking down the Devil's Backbone Trail near the Mount Baldy summit.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says Fujita lost her footing and slid about 50 feet down the snow-packed ridge. They say she was able to use her ice ax to stop herself from falling further.
Rescuers in a helicopter were able to reach Fujita and a fire captain, lowered 130 feet, hooked Fujita to a rescue harness.
The captain told Fujita to "hug me as tight as you can" before the two were safely lifted back into the helicopter.
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