A 74-year-old woman who was injured while hiking Piestewa Peak Tuesday afternoon was lifted from the mountain by helicopter, during which the basket she was in began spinning out of control.
Video of the rescue — and the woman's wild ride — was captured by several local television news helicopter cameras.
Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Kenny Overton told The Arizona Republic the woman suffered a facial laceration, wrist and hip injuries and possibly a fractured nose while hiking the peak, near 24th Street and Lincoln Drive.
However, there were “no complications” as a result of the rescue stretcher spinning as it dangled from the helicopter. Overton said the spinning was caused by a combination of wind from the helicopter’s propellers, the ground below and the centrifugal force of the helicopter.