Woman rescued after falling 30 feet at Devils Backbone

A woman was rescued Wednesday night after falling down a cliff at Devils Backbone on the Boone/Callaway County line.

The call went out just before 7:30 p.m. for the 21-year-old who was hiking with friends when she fell down 30 feet off the side of the trail. Her friends traveled up the path to get cell phone service and call for help.

Emergency responders on the scene used ropes to pull her up just before 9:00 p.m.

She had a cut on her head, but responders said her injuries were not life-threatening. She was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Crews on scene were not sure how the fall happened, but Southern Boone County Fire District Chief Roger Jaeger said it’s important for hikers to know where they’re going.

“Remember when it gets dark, things change,” said Chief Jaeger. “We had people that have walked off of cliffs at night thinking they knew where they were going. I don’t think that happened in this instance, though.”