Men Carry Injured Hiker Down Mountain to Safety.

January 7, 2025 by By Catherine Stack

ASHFORD, Washington—Experienced hiker, Ursula Bannister, 79, gained some new friends when they rescued her after an injury on a mountain hiking trail.

Troy May and Layton Allen discovered Ursula on the trail unable to continue her trek after breaking her foot, so the two young men carried her down the mountain to safety. The journey took several hours.

Ursula likes to maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes daily exercise. One morning, she set off to enjoy one of her favorite and frequent hikes: High Rock Lookout, a 3.2-mile trail to a viewpoint in Washington near her home. The popular trail is known by hikers to be short, yet challenging and steep.

She scattered her mother’s ashes here 23 years ago, so the lookout has a special place in her heart. On this occasion, she had brought flowers to leave at her favorite spot along the trail.

Ursula made it to the top of the mountain, left her flowers and spent some time there reminiscing. On her descent, her foot caught in a hole in the trail bed. She forcefully fell forward and hit the ground, which created immense pain in her foot.

Unable to walk on her swollen and inflamed foot, she desperately cried out for help. Troy and Layton were nearby with Troy’s fiancé when they heard Ursula’s distress calls and rushed to help. They immediately called 911. The dispatchers informed them that it would take up to five hours to reach their reported location.

At that disheartening news, and seeing Ursula in severe pain, the men decided to take matters into their own hands and carry her down themselves. Once they arrived at the trailhead, they helped her into their car and drove her to the hospital where she was treated for her injuries.

Troy, an Air Force Airman, felt confident that his training had prepared him for the physical challenge, saying “I knew I was capable of carrying her down. I really didn’t make much of a decision, I just knew I needed to carry her down if I could.”

Troy gently lifted Ursula onto his back and began the slow journey downhill. On the descent, they encountered more helpers: an occupational therapist who helped Ursula with calming breathing exercises; and a physical therapist who splinted her leg. Layton also assisted Troy with carrying Ursula down the last portion of the trail.

The men chatted with Ursula along the way to help take her mind off the excruciating pain. She spoke of her childhood experiences in Germany – she was born shortly after WWII and the fall of the Third Reich – and then coming to the United States in 1959. The group became fast friends in the utmost unusual circumstance.

The men drove Ursula to Tacoma General Hospital as soon as they arrived at the trailhead. There, the doctors confirmed that she had suffered a compound break of the tibia, fibula and heel bone. They concluded that her condition would have been a lot worse had Troy, Layton and the other hikers not offered help.

Ursula later underwent surgery to receive 11 screws and a titanium plate. She has since embarked on a long road to recovery. The men who rescued her came to visit her to cheer her up.

“I was just overwhelmed with gratitude that these people literally came out of the woods to help me and they were totally unselfish and kind,” Ursula said. She added that the friendship she gained with the men was worth more than the pain and discomfort she had from her accident.

The Foundation for a Better Life and PassItOn believe that Troy, Layton and the other hikers who helped Ursula are heroes. Their action is a great example of helping others. Please help us celebrate them by sharing their inspiring story.