Her heart stopped after a 500-foot boulder sent her down a mountain during a trek — a rare ER coincidence kept her alive even 20 years later
A hiker, Jamie Hunter, saw her life change in seconds on a cold September day in 2003 during a university trek on Mt. Adams in Washington. A massive boulder fell nearly 500 feet at high speed, struck her from behind, and hurled her down the mountain slope. Her heart later stopped, and she arrived at the hospital without signs of life. Survival depended on a rare chain of events, from trained people already on the mountain to specialists present in the emergency room at the exact moment she arrived. The incident did not just mark a near-death experience, but the start of a long medical journey that would stretch more than 20 years, shaping her health, recovery, and daily life, long after that single, violent moment in the mountains.
Hunter was hiking with fellow students from the University of Portland when climbers nearby noticed the rock bouncing down the slope, missing several people before hitting her. The impact sent her flying about 25 yards down the mountain, leaving her unconscious and severely injured. She later said in conversation with UW Medicine, “I remember sliding, and after that, I have no memory for three months.” Help reached her as her condition rapidly declined. An Army officer called for a helicopter, while a physician and an ICU nurse who happened to be hiking nearby worked to stabilize her. During the airlift to Legacy Emanuel Hospital, her injuries worsened. Her father, John Hunter, later recalled doctors saying she was “not expected to make it” when she arrived at the emergency room. He added that he and Jamie’s mother, Wendy, were taken in immediately to see her, and the sight that met him when he entered the room was unforgettable.
At the hospital, Hunter’s heart stopped, but another coincidence changed the outcome. Jonathan Hill, a heart surgeon, happened to be in the emergency room and immediately intervened, restarting her heart by hand. As reported by PEOPLE on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Dr. William Long, who led the trauma team, remarked, “It took a series of miracles to bring her back.” Over the following months, Hunter remained in intensive care, battling kidney and liver failure, severe infections, and sepsis. Her care required constant coordination across teams. “She had so many injuries that we had to pick out two to three that would have the greatest impact and get through that first before addressing others,” Dr. Long explained, describing the careful decisions made to keep her alive.
Hunter spent nearly six months hospitalized before beginning a long recovery. Doctors later worked to reconstruct damaged joints so she could walk again, with orthopedic specialist M.L. Chip Routt, saying she had “rebounded better than anybody could have.” Today, she lives with lasting physical and cognitive challenges, including arthritis and memory issues. Over the years, she has also undergone major surgeries, including a total knee replacement on her right leg in 2021 and a total shoulder replacement in the spring of 2024 after breaking her left shoulder in the crash. Now at 42, she continues to ski, bike, and rebuild her strength. Fear is not what holds her back. Her goal is to return to Mt. Adams, the place where her life nearly ended. She says the challenge is physical, not mental, and believes progress comes “piece by piece,” one step at a time.
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