AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (ROCKTOWN NOW) – Virginia State Police, with the help of the Chesterfield County Fire and EMS flight paramedics, were able to rescue a 20-year-old hiker who had fallen into a river Saturday afternoon in Augusta County.

Spokesman Matt Demlein reports that shortly before 5:30 p.m., State Police Med Flight -1 team responded to a call for the woman, who sustained serious back injuries after jumping into the Saint Mary’s River from a cliff along the Saint Mary’s Falls Trail.

“Once on scene, the ground crew directed the helicopter into position over the scene and Med-Flight lowered a rescuer from the aircraft to the ground,” Demlein explained. “Augusta Fire-Rescue personnel on scene assisted in securing the injured hiker for a hoisting operation back to the aircraft some 175’ above.”

The injured hiker was placed inside the helicopter, where the crew then transitioned from a rescue operation to a medevac transport to UVA Medical Center for further treatment.

Med Flight-1 is a joint effort between Virginia State Police pilots and paramedics from the Chesterfield County Fire and EMS Department.