Woman, 79, Breaks Leg After Hiking to Spot Where She Scattered Mom’s Ashes. Then Strangers Carried Her for Hours

Mar. 15, 2025

Troy May carrying Ursula Bannister on Aug. 28, 2024.Photo:U.S. Air Force courtesy photo

U.S. Air Force courtesy photo

A 79-year-old Washington woman faced a five-hour wait for rescue after breaking her ankle while hiking to the spot where her mother’s ashes were scattered. Luckily, some strangers lent her a helping hand.

Ursula Bannister, of Tacoma, was climbing on the High Rock trail near Ashford on Aug. 28 when she broke and dislocated her ankle mid-hike, according to a news release from theU.S. Air Force.

Bannister, who says she’s an experienced hiker, tries to visit the area about once a year and bring flowers to the spot where her mother’s ashes were spread, according toNBC BostonandThe Washington Post.

This time, on her way down, she stepped in a hole and injured herself. “By the time I sat up, my foot was pointing the wrong way. I knew right away I had broken my leg,” she told thePost. “I tried to get up with my hiking pole and it collapsed on me.”

Ursula Bannister at home on Sept. 12, 2024.U.S. Air Force courtesy photo

A stranger later approached and helped Bannister call 911. But according to thePost, Bannister learned it could take rescue crews up to five hours to reach her.

A short time later, two men showed up. One of them was U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Troy May, who is currently stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, according to the department. May and his friend, Layton Allen, helped “carry Bannister 1.6 miles down the steep trail,” a journey that, according to thePost, took about three hours to complete.

​​"I was like if I could carry her out … it’d be a lot quicker for her and get her out of a little bit of pain,” May told NBC Boston.

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Bannister told thePostshe felt the men “were behaving like angels coming from the sky,” adding, “I was just thankful that these guys were willing to do this.”

To keep Bannister’s mind off of her painful injury, May and Allen got to know more about her life, according to thePost. “She had a bunch of cool stories,” May explained. “We were trying to keep her talking to make the hike go faster … we really had quite the team.”

After reaching the parking lot, May and Allen helped Bannister into a car and drove her to a hospital, according to the Air Force. Bannister ultimately broke her leg in three places and now has a plate and at least 10 screws in her leg to help it heal, per NBC Boston.

On Sept. 9, May received an Air Force Achievement Medal for assisting in the rescue, according to thePost. Speaking with NBC Boston, May said, “I just happened to be at the right time to do it that day.”

Meanwhile, Bannister told thePostshe believes “we’ll be friends for a really long time.”

source: people.com