Minnesota nurse survives 100-foot fall on Arizona hike

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Amber Kohnhorst. Source: gofundme.com/AmberK

A Minnesota nurse is recovering at a hospital in Utah after falling 100 feet from a cliff while hiking in northwestern Arizona. Amber Kohnhorst, 25, of Rochester, Minn., was stranded for nearly 25 hours before she was rescued and evacuated.

Kohnhorst was out for a short hike on Rose Cliffs Trail on Friday, May 20 when she fell from a rock ledge. She fractured her back in three places and suffered a broken nose and crushed pelvis.

The owners of the Cane Beds Inn where Kohnhorst was staying noticed she hadn't returned from her hike by Saturday morning and called the sheriff’s office. According to a GoFundMe campaign established to help with her recovery: 

“This life-changing accident occurred during a volunteer trip to the Best Friends Animal Society in Utah.  Since childhood, animals and the outdoors have played a vital role in Amber's life. As a nurse in the Cardiovascular Surgical ICU at the Mayo Clinic, Amber's dedication to caring for others is apparent to anyone who meets her. This trip gave her the ability to combine these passions and give back to the animals that she cares so much about.”

You can contribute at https://www.gofundme.com/AmberK