Hiker refused chopper, won settlement

A Phoenix hiker who broke her nose on Piestewa Peak and was spun midair in a rescue basket later received a $450,000 settlement. (abc15.com) Katalin Metro, 74, fell while hiking with her husband on June 4, 2019, and suffered facial injuries, including a broken nose. Phoenix rescuers lifted her by helicopter in a Stokes basket, a rigid stretcher used for hoist rescues. (azcentral.com) During the hoist, the basket began rotating rapidly in the helicopter’s downwash after a line meant to control the spin broke. News reports said Metro spun more than 175 times, and one television report put the figure at more than 200 rotations. (airmedandrescue.com) (fox10phoenix.com) Metro’s 2019 notice of claim said she had refused helicopter transport and wanted to be carried down the trail instead. The filing sought $2 million and said the rescue left her with physical, emotional, and psychological injuries. (phoenixnewtimes.com) (12news.com) The case moved from that claim to a civil lawsuit filed in Maricopa County Superior Court in 2020. On December 1, 2021, the Phoenix City Council unanimously approved a settlement of up to $450,000 in Metro v. City of Phoenix. (firelawblog.com) (12news.com) City records and local reports said Phoenix denied wrongdoing or liability as part of the settlement. The payment resolved the claims without a trial verdict on whether rescuers acted negligently. (abc15.com) (azcentral.com) The rescue video spread widely in 2019 because it showed a rare failure in a hoist operation that fire officials said was unusual but not unprecedented. Air rescue crews use tag lines and controlled lift procedures to keep a basket from turning under rotor wash. (ktar.com) (airmedandrescue.com) The case did not turn into a ruling that hikers can choose any rescue method they want. It ended with Phoenix paying to settle claims after a 2019 extraction that began with a broken nose and became known for the spinning basket seen on video. (azcentral.com) (abc15.com)