Grandma who breaks leg hiking rescue by U.S. Airman

A grandmother is healing from a broken leg after she fell during a solo hike in Washington and had to be carried over a mile to safety by a U.S. Airman.

Ursula Bannister, 79, says it takes a hike but you'll have a hard time finding a better view of Mount Rainier than High Rock Lookout. She says once a year she tries to go up there and bring some flowers to her mother Hilde, whose ashes were spread at the lookout.

Bannister made her solo trek up last month, and then shortly after she took a stunning photo of the mountain, she stepped in a hole and fell down -- breaking her left in three places. She now has more than 10 screws and a plate in her leg.

As traumatic as the hike was, Bannister says it seemed like a miracle, like angels had descended from the sky, when strangers rallied to help set her leg and call 911.

U.S. Air Force Airman First Class Troy May had been at the lookout with his fiancée and a buddy when he came to the rescue for Bannister.

​​"When they informed me it was going to be at least 4-5 hours before they were even going to get to the spot not including the hike up, I was like if I could carry her out.. it'd be a lot quicker for her and get her out of a little bit of pain so."

May ended up putting Bannister on his back, carrying her a mile and a half down to the parking lot where they drover her to the hospital.

Bannister says they tried to keep her engaged so they wouldn't have to listen to her scream.

May's actions were worthy of an Air Force achievement medal.

"There's many people that could have done it," he said. "I just happened to be at the right time to do it that day."

Bannister thinks her angels, her heroes, prevented her from suffering worse injuries.

Her injury means no hiking or skiing this winter, but she says this whole ordeal has been inspiring for her.

"Really encouraged me about young people and middle aged people and older people and how good at heart the American people are," she said.