NY woman, 86, falls off cliff while raking leaves

Friday October 19, 2012 9:15 AM

NEWFANE, N.Y. (AP) — Authorities say an 86-year-old western New York woman tumbled off a cliff while doing yard work and clung to a tree for an hour before being rescued.

The Niagara Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/WvZl9k ) that Beverly Blewett was raking leaves in her backyard in the town of Newfane on Thursday afternoon when the ground along the edge of a creek gave way. That caused her to plunge 30 feet into the 100-foot-deep ravine.

Blewett held onto a tree for about an hour before a neighbor heard her cries for help and called 911.

Two law enforcement officers lowered a rope to Blewett, and firefighters used a stretcher to haul her out of the ravine. She suffered bruises and scratches and was treated at a Buffalo hospital.

___

Information from: Niagara Gazette.

©2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Currently in Columbus
77°
Clear

Today

Full schedule
8:00
The American Baking Competition
9:00
Criminal Minds
10:00
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
11:00
10TV News @ 11PM
11:35
Late Show with David Letterman