Staff Report, July 21, 2025
A Monroe County woman is recovering after a harrowing fall left her stranded overnight in a remote gully in Yates County.
The 75-year-old Pittsford resident was hiking alone in Clark’s Gully when she fell nearly 90 feet into the steep ravine on Thursday. Separated from her phone after the fall, she was unable to call for help immediately and spent the night alone, injured and exposed to the elements.
In the early hours of Friday morning, she managed to find her phone and contact 911 around 8:00 a.m. Emergency crews quickly responded, using GPS data from the woman’s device to locate her in the rugged terrain.
A coordinated rescue effort involving multiple agencies successfully brought her to safety. She was then airlifted by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where she is being treated for potential head and neck injuries, as well as exposure.
Responding agencies included the Yates County Sheriff’s Office, Naples Fire and Ambulance, Dundee and Middlesex Fire Rope Rescue teams, Rushville Fire Department, the Yates County Office of Emergency Management, and Mercy Flight.
