Winchendon Woman Falls Off Rock Ledge While Hiking In New Hampshire's Monadnock State Park

JAFFREY, N.H. (CBS) – A Winchendon woman was injured Sunday while hiking in New Hampshire when she tumbled over a rock ledge after night fell and she was lost without a light. Fortuantely, rescuers were able to locate the woman even though her cell phone battery died during a 911 call.

The woman called 911 around 8:25 p.m. to say she was on the White Arrow Trail at Monadnock State Park without a light and it had gotten dark. Less than a minute into the call with conservation officers, the woman's phone died.

Dispatchers were able to provide GPS coordinates for the woman's location. The 40-year-old woman was about half a mile up the mountain from the end of Old Toll Road in Jaffrey.

When the woman's cell phone died, she began to panic and started hiking down the trail in the dark. She made it about 500 feet when she fell off a rock ledge that was about 20 feet high and landed on the rocks below.

Conservation officers arrived in the area by 9:20 p.m. and found the woman in less than an hour.

She suffered serious injuries to her right side in the fall.

Additional resources arrived to provide the woman medical attention and warm clothes. She was carried to a waiting truck, then brought to an ambulance. The Winchendon woman was then taken to UMass Memorial Medical Center by LifeFlight helicopter.

New Hampshire Fish and Game said the woman began her hike around 6 p.m. and was not properly dressed for conditions. They said the situation could have "had a much different outcome" if the woman wasn't able to make one last call to 911 before her phone died. The area is also known to have poor cell phone coverage.

"This incident is a good reminder to all people recreating in the outdoors to prepare for the unexpected, hike with a partner or group, and carry the necessary equipment," Fish and Game said. "Never rely on a cellular phone for rescue. Please visit www.hikesafe.com for a list of recommended hiking equipment."