A 62-year-old hiker stranded for nine days with broken bones in the Sierra National Forest in California said on Tuesday that when she blew her whistle to draw rescuers to her, she felt it was her last chance at survival.
Miyuki Harwood, who remains in a hospital following her rescue on Saturday, also said in her statement on the website of the Fresno County Sheriff's Office that she regretted leaving the rest of her hiking group, a decision that led to her being stranded by herself.
Harwood's statement said she had reached the summit of Blackcap Mountain, in the Sierra National Forest on the eastern side of Central California, on Aug. 20 with a group from the Sierra Club and decided to head back alone to the group's camp, as it was getting dark.