Injured horseback rider airlifted from Point Reyes trail

The Sonoma County sheriff’s helicopter on Friday aided in the rescue of a woman who was injured after falling from a horse in the Point Reyes National Seashore.

The accident occurred on a trail with limited vehicle access, according to a Sonoma County sheriff’s news release. The sheriff’s helicopter, known as Henry 1, received the request for aid at about 1:40 p.m. Friday and soon located the 55-year-old woman and a national park ranger who had come to her assistance.

Because the woman was surrounded by a dense canopy of trees, the chopper landed in a nearby clearing and the crew attached a 200-foot-long rope to the belly of the aircraft. The pilot flew two crew members and rescue equipment on the long line to the woman. With the help of Marin County Fire personnel, the crew members placed the woman in a rescue device. Once secured, the woman and Henry 1 crew members were lifted and flown on the long line to a waiting Marin County Fire ambulance. From there the woman was taken to a medical facility for treatment.

No further details were immediately available on the woman’s identity, injuries or condition.