Hiker missing for over a week in Big Bend National Park rescued

By Joe Sutton, CNN

(CNN) — A 25-year-old hiker who had been missing since November 9 in Big Bend National Park in Texas has been rescued, the National Park Service said in a news release.

The hiker, Christy Perry, “was found awake and talking approximately 1/4 mile below the summit of the Lost Mine Trail” on Friday morning, the park service said.

“We are pleased to report a successful search and rescue operation in Big Bend National Park. Our highly skilled team, in collaboration with outside law enforcement, has located and safely rescued the missing hiker,” the agency said in a Facebook post.

Pictures from park service showed rescuers navigating “steep terrain with the patient” as they transported the hiker near the summit of Lost Mine Trail.

A close family friend told CNN affiliate KTRK that Perry had been on a planned vacation but didn’t tell anyone the details of her itinerary.

Multiple agencies assisted in the search for Perry since November 15 when it was reported she was “overdue” from her trip to the park.

Perry had picked up a rental car in Midland, Texas, on November 8. Her vehicle was seen parked at the trailhead the next day, and she did not show up for her camping reservation, according to a missing person announcement.

Perry was being “transported by Texas Department of Public Safety helicopter to Odessa, Texas, for medical attention,” according to the park service.

Lost Mine Trail is open, and the park service is encouraging all visitors “to explore responsibly.”

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