A 72-year-old woman camping alone in Northern California survived days at the bottom of a 100-foot embankment before searchers found her alive.
Story Highlights
- Mary Beth Granbery of Mount Shasta, Calif., left Sept. 28 for a multiday camping trip and did not come home.
- Ground crews found her alive near Cabin Creek, about three miles from the trailhead and roughly 300 yards off the main trail.
- She had serious injuries, including a badly hurt knee, and signs of exposure.
- A California Highway Patrol helicopter lifted her out, and she was taken to a hospital in Redding in stable condition.
A Family’s Call Starts The Search
Granbery set out alone and was due back by Oct. 1, and when she missed work the next day, her family reported her missing. Searchers found her camper van at the Cabin Creek Trailhead in Shasta County on Oct. 3, which narrowed the hunt to the forest around it. About 25 search and rescue workers from Siskiyou and Shasta counties used dog teams, dirt bikes and a Jeep team to cover the rough country. A ground crew working one of the creek drainages found her alive at about 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4.
MIRACLE RESCUE: A 72-year-old California hiker was found alive after surviving for days in the wilderness following a roughly 100-foot fall down a steep embankment.
Mary Beth Granbery disappeared during a multi-day camping trip in Northern California, triggering a search after…
— Erik Hoffmann (@TheErikHoffmann) October 8, 2026
She was lying near the creek at the bottom of a steep embankment. Rescuers said she had fallen about 100 feet. Officials have not said exactly when she fell. Rescuers said she may have left the trail during a day hike, possibly to fish, and that she had been at the bottom of the slope for days.
Days Alone In Rough Country
The search area was hard going. Crews worked around downed trees and spotty radio coverage, and nights dropped into the low 40s. Granbery had multiple injuries from the fall and showed signs of exposure, which is harm the body takes from cold, wind and wet over a long stretch outdoors. Reports said she was disoriented when crews reached her.
Officials have not described how she got through the days alone. What is known is that she was found beside running water, deep in a drainage, by a team assigned to search one of the creek drainages. A drainage is the low ground a creek runs through.
Air Rescue Lifts Her To Safety
Once the ground team reached her, California Highway Patrol Air Operations sent a helicopter. The crew used a hoist, a cable lowered from the aircraft, to lift her out of the Cabin Creek drainage. They flew her to a nearby landing zone and handed her to an air ambulance, which took her to Mercy Medical Center in Redding.
The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said, “[Granbery] is in stable condition, and her injuries are non-life threatening.” Local reports said she was expected to recover. Officials credited her family’s knowledge of her plans with helping searchers narrow the area.
What Her Rescue Teaches Anyone Who Hikes Alone
Granbery’s family knew when she left and when she was due back, and that timeline gave searchers a starting point. Officials urged anyone who hikes or camps alone to share a route and return date with someone at home, and to leave a note in the vehicle if plans change. A note on the dashboard can save a search team hours.
Experience on the trail is no guarantee against a bad step on loose ground, at any age. What brought Granbery home was a family that noticed when she was overdue, a van parked where searchers could find it, and crews who kept walking the creek beds until they reached her.
Sources:
foxnews.com, abcnews.com, sfgate.com, activenorcal.com, sacbee.com, hoodline.com
