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She Was Too Heavy for the Rescue Helicopter —18 Months Later, No One Recognizes Her

Amanda Keller never imagined a weekend hike would end in disaster—but after breaking her ankle on a remote trail, she waited for rescue with quiet hope. That hope turned to horror when the crew arrived and realized they couldn’t lift her. At nearly 400 pounds, Amanda was “too heavy” for the standard helicopter harness. A second team had to be called, and she lay on the ground for four more hours—injured, exposed, and humiliated. As she stared up at the sky, trying not to cry, one thought kept repeating in her mind…

When 34-year-old Amanda Keller set out for a weekend hike in the mountains of British Columbia, she wasn’t expecting a rescue mission. She certainly wasn’t expecting to become the story.

“I slipped on some loose rocks and broke my ankle,” she recalls. “I was scared, sure—but I figured help would come like it does in the movies.”

Rescue teams arrived within the hour. Amanda lay bundled in an emergency blanket, grateful and relieved. But then came the words that would burn into her memory forever.

“We can’t lift her,” one crew member reportedly said. “She exceeds the safety limit for the winch.”