To hikers familiar with the Sam Merrill Trail, the rescue appears to take place from a spot mid-way between the 1- and 2-mile markers -- an area that would require some serious skills and derring-do on the part of the helicopter rescue team.
Ayers describes the photos:
"The first shows the sheriff’s copter adjacent to the west wall of Echo Mountain and the Sam Merrill Trail. A rescuer can be seen being lowered from the helicopter. Below and to the left are a number of people looking on from the Sam Merrill.
"The second photo shows the end of the rescue with the woman and the rescuer just below the helicopter body; you can see the woman’s white tennis shoes."
Patch had a story on the rescue .
