Hiker in California paralyzed from spider bite, rescued after last-minute phone call

A last-minute phone call saved the life of a hiker in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains paralyzed by a spider bite.

Inyo County search-and-rescue personnel received a call around 6:30 p.m. on June 12 from a woman who had been hiking out of the John Muir Trail through the Taboose Pass after encountering too much snow. The woman was fetching water from a nearby creek when she was bitten by what she thought was a spider, according to Inyo County officials.

Hiker was "unable to feel the skin on her legs."

“Afterwards, she was unable to feel the skin on her legs and could not continue her hike down. She still managed to call for a rescue and relay her coordinates, then her phone battery died,” officials said.

Having her coordinates, county officials were able to locate the hiker shortly before midnight and escort her down the mountain pass.

“After assessing the patient, the rescuers slowly walked her down the tricky section of the trail while ensuring her safety with ropes, then transferred her into the wheeled litter where the trail became stable,” said Inyo County search and rescue personnel in a statement.

Inyo County officials did not provide any further updates on the hiker’s condition.

Outdoors news:Two hikers found dead on Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the 'lower 48'

Last month, two hikers were found dead while climbing Inyo County’s Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the “lower 48” states. The pair had been attempting to summit “the Notch” on the mountain’s western face and were reported missing by a third companion on May 7 after not returning to camp for several hours. “Always bring a power bank for your phone, don’t use anything that can drain its battery, or – better yet – bring a satellite messaging device,” Inyo County officials said in regards to the latest rescue, adding that nearly half

Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for USA TODAY. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com