Fallen hiker rescued By RYAN DIONNE rdionne@thespectrum.com
CEDAR CITY – More than a dozen rescuers from six different local organizations helped bring fallen hiker Michelle Kline, 47, from the mountain in Brian Head on Saturday.
Kline, of Atlantic City, N.J., was hiking near the top of Brian Head resort with her brother, Mike, husband, Steve, and nephew, Austin, when Steve slipped on the snow and fell causing Kline to fall with him.
“She just couldn’t stop him,” said Mike Kline, Michelle Kline’s brother. The hikers were roped to each other for safety, Mike Kline said, but when Steve fell, he pulled down Michelle and Austin with him.
Austin and Steve had minor injuries, but before Mike Kline could stop all of them from falling farther, Michelle hit a group of rocks causing a serious head injury, her brother, who is a doctor at Dixie Regional Medical Center, said.
“I don’t think she ever lost consciousness,” said Iron County Search and Rescue Commander Charlie Morris.
She was complaining of being really cold and shock was probably a factor, he said.
After spending hours stabilizing Kline and meticulously lifting her down the mountain, crews air-lifted her to Dixie Regional Medical Center around 6:30 Saturday evening.
“I was so freaked out,” said Kline’s 8-year-old nephew, Austin.
Though emergency personnel train for situations like this, Saturday’s incident was unusual.
“This one’s pretty extensive. This one’s pretty unique,” Morris said.
The rocky, steep terrain made it difficult to get to Kline and the mountains made communication difficult for rescuers, he said.
Even the helicopter had a hard time finding a suitable place to land because of the wind and high altitude, Morris said.
“I think it went very well considering all the different situations there were,” he said.
Mike Kline, an experienced mountaineer, said he hikes and skis the area 70 to 80 times per year and nothing like this has ever happened.
Though the hikers weren’t wearing helmets, Mike Kline did have a locator beacon with him that he left with Michelle when he went to get help, he said.
Rescuers said the beacon was instrumental in finding her so quickly.