A woman was airlifted from Angel Island after tumbling more than 20 feet down a steep hillside Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The Tiburon Fire Protection District responded to a call for help on the scenic island around 1:45 p.m. Sunday, according to Battalion Chief Steve Ardigo.
The woman, who Ardigo said is in her 20s, tripped while walking the Sunset Trail, a narrow dirt track that climbs to an elevation of about 800 feet. She slid downhill 20 to 30 feet before landing in a thatch of brush and poison oak on the side of the hill.
“She was on a steep hillside with really difficult access,” Ardigo said. “Fortunately for her, she had a friend who was there hanging on to her and keeping her calm… He scrambled down to her and held on tight to keep her from sliding down the hill more.”
The woman appeared to be in an altered state from possible head trauma, Ardigo said, although the extent of her injuries was unclear Sunday afternoon.
After arriving on the island, responders reached the woman on the hillside in about 10 minutes, Ardigo said. A helicopter eventually used a long line to pick her off the hill, transferring her to a medical helicopter, which brought her to a hospital.