Two women stayed with me while others approached. I could see the looks on their faces—shock and concern. The guide finally made his way down the hill and said, “Don’t worry, we have an ambulance coming.” That’s when I realized this was serious. I should have realized when one of the riders from our group came over and handed over a buff band saying we could use it as a tourniquet if we needed… 

The police showed up, and about 15-20 minutes later, the ambulance arrived. The EMTs asked me questions, and I stayed conscious, focusing on breathing—in through the nose, out through the mouth. I had enough adrenaline to keep me relatively calm.

Meanwhile, JoAnn asked for my phone, unlocked it with my PIN, and called my husband. When she came back, she said, “I called your husband. I told him it did not go well.” In my head, I thought, “Why the eff did you tell him in a way that made it sound so bad? I’m fine!” But I didn’t say that.

The police asked questions—my birthday, name—and everyone kept asking if I was okay. I just kept breathing and staying calm, answering every question, reciting my husband’s phone number.

When the EMTs arrived and I saw their expressions, I thought, “I must have done a really good job hurting myself.” They checked my blood pressure, my neck for injuries, and asked about other pain. They put an airbag around my feet and legs, then inflated it to keep everything stable.

Then they called for another ambulance with doctors. Two female doctors arrived, asked more questions, took vitals, and gave me morphine right there on the side of the road. They did a fantastic job of getting me onto a board and into the ambulance.

The 20-minute ride to the hospital was brutal—speed bumps and potholes the whole way. The driver did his best to keep the ride gentle, but every bump sent shattering pain through my body. Thank goodness for the morphine.

As we approached the hospital, Dannella called out, “Jenn, I have all your stuff! I’m following behind in the other ambulance! I’ll see you at the hospital!” She had my passport and belongings, which was a relief.