Witnesses Talk About Manitou Incline Death

UPDATE: Woman ID’d, see story here —————————————————

A woman died on the Manitou Incline Tuesday evening from an apparent heart attack, as other hikers watched and some tried to help.

Witnesses said the woman suddenly fell about a quarter way up the trail.

“When I got there, I saw the three men trying to help her out,” said Rose Stegmayer. “They were doing CPR and talking with 911.”

Witnesses said the woman was unresponsive, but search and rescue crews and firefighters continued resuscitation efforts when they reached the victim.

“It had been an hour that she’d been gone, and they didn’t give up probably for that whole hour,” said witness Jessi Saffer.

Meanwhile, a crowd of hikers stood watching the nightmare scenario and hoping for the best.

“I was standing there praying,” said Stegmayer. “That she’d be able be survive.”

“It’s just an awful thing, because we’re all trying to do the same thing. We’re all trying to be healthy,” said Saffer. “To witness something like that is heartbreaking.”

No information about the victim has been released yet. Witnesses said she looked to be in her 30s and was alone on the trail.