100-Foot Plunge – She’s Found Alive

Ambulance with flashing lights driving on a wet city street — Photo: bodrumsurf / Shutterstock

A 72-year-old woman survived a 100-foot fall down a steep embankment and days alone in the Northern California wilderness before rescuers found her alive beside a creek.

Quick Take

Mary Beth Granbery, 72, of Mount Shasta left for a multi-day camping trip on Sept. 28 and did not return.
Family members reported her missing on Oct. 2 after she failed to show up for work.
Search and rescue teams found her alive on Oct. 4 near Cabin Creek in Shasta County, roughly three miles from the trailhead.
She had fallen about 100 feet down a steep embankment and suffered serious injuries, including a severe one described by authorities.
She was airlifted or transported for treatment and remained in critical condition after the rescue.

A Camping Trip That Turned Into A Six-Day Search

Granbery set out on Sept. 28 for what was meant to be a multi-day camping trip near Cabin Creek in Shasta County, California. She was expected home by Oct. 1. When she never returned, family members grew worried and reported her missing to local authorities. The alarm officially went out on Oct. 2, after she also failed to show up for work that Friday.

Investigators located Granbery’s camper van near the trailhead where she began her hike, giving search teams a starting point. From there, crews worked outward along the terrain surrounding Cabin Creek. This linear feature search experts say is one of the most common places to find lost or injured hikers, since people naturally gravitate toward water and downhill paths when disoriented or hurt.

Found Alive After A Steep Fall And Days Without Help

Search and rescue teams located Granbery on Sunday, Oct. 4, at the bottom of a steep embankment along Cabin Creek, about three miles from the trailhead. Authorities say she had fallen roughly 100 feet down the slope, leaving her with significant injuries, including one described as severe. She was stranded there for days before anyone found her.

The discovery came after days of coordinated effort across multiple agencies combing dense, remote terrain. Officials noted that Granbery was an experienced hiker, which made her disappearance especially concerning, since seasoned outdoorsmen and women are not typically expected to vanish without a trace. Her survival through days of exposure and injury with no food, water, or medical care stunned rescuers and family alike.

What Her Condition Tells Us About The Rescue

Following her rescue, Granbery was reported in critical condition, underscoring just how serious her injuries from the fall truly were. Medical experts who study wilderness search and rescue note that survival odds drop sharply after the first 24 hours missing, making her days-long ordeal all the more remarkable. Getting found before conditions worsened further likely made the difference between life and death.

Mary Beth Granbery, 72, was missing after a solo camping trip in Northern California. She was later found alive with injuries from a fall. https://t.co/ntUtge3Nfy

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 8, 2026

Her case fits a familiar and sobering pattern seen across American wilderness areas each year. Falls, immobility, and delayed detection combine to turn routine hikes into life-threatening emergencies, especially for older adults tackling remote terrain alone. Swift, well-coordinated searches, like the one that found Granbery along Cabin Creek, remain the single biggest factor separating tragic outcomes from stories of survival against the odds.