Fox10A 74-year-old hiker is suing the city of Phoenix after a helicopter rescue mission resulted in a viral video in which she was seen spinning out of control while being airlifted.
The unbelievable footage was shared far and wide earlier this year after Katalin Metro went hiking off Piestewa Peak, near Phoenix, and tripped while making her way along the trail.
The hiker became disorientated and needed help getting back down the mountain, though the rescue certainly didn’t do anything to help her disorientation.
Take a look at what happened below:
Though the rescuers were attempting to help Metro, she is making them pay for the unfortunate turn – literally – of events as yesterday, November 26, she filed a notice of claim against the city of Phoenix for a whopping $2 million.
According to the notice, cited by Fox10, Metro had told the rescuers she did not want to be airlifted, though evidently they didn’t listen.
As a result of the ordeal, the hiker is claiming she suffered physical, emotional and psychological injuries, and the claim states a doctor at John C. Lincoln Medical Center said Metro had swelling and bruising in the eyes, blood in her auditory canals and soft tissue swelling in parts of the head.
Metro also apparently required surgery for a spinal cord injury after the rescue.
Fox10Metro was transferred from hospital to a rehabilitation center at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center on June 11 and was discharged about two weeks later, before beginning outpatient therapy in July.
Treatments between June and July resulted in medical costs of more than $290,000.
The claim states:
Katalin Metro’s injuries were caused or contributed to by the negligence, negligence per se, gross negligence, carelessness and/or other fault on the part of the City of Phoenix.
Fox10On the day of the rescue, firefighters wrapped Metro like a mummy and strapped her in a so-called ‘stokes basket’, which was attached to the helicopter.
The aircraft initially lifted the basket gently off the floor but before long it started spinning rapidly out of control, almost making it look as if the helicopter had two sets of rotors. Naturally, the unbelievable scene quickly took the internet by storm.
Paying 500 bucks to have someone do the botched helicopter rescue spin to me but for fun
— chris person (@Papapishu) June 5, 2019
*watching woman spin out of control in helicopter rescue*
Me: Same
— Tyler, the Creator (@tyTOLDya) June 8, 2019
The spinning lasted a solid minute, though at the time fire department Capt. Bobby Dubnow claimed the 74-year-old ‘suffered no ill effect from that spin other than being a little bit dizzy’.
The couple are reportedly willing to settle the claim for $2 million. Phoenix officials have said they cannot comment due to pending litigation.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.