Bra helps in rescue of Springs hiker stranded in Alps
By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published June 23, 2008 at 8:11 a.m.
Updated June 24, 2008 at 12:13 a.m.
Jessica Bruinsma broke four ribs in fall of some 20 feet.
Stuck, lost and hobbled in the German Alps, a quick-thinking Colorado Springs woman hooked her bra to a mountainside supply line, which alerted rescuers to her whereabouts just as they were giving up the search.
"We're going to have a party for her every June 19, and give her some new bras," Elana Bruinsma, said Monday morning of her sister, Jessica Bruinsma, 24.
The white sports bra has become the talk of the Berchtesgaden area of Germany near the Austria border.
"It certainly beats sending up a flare," one rescue worker told ananova.com, a British Web site.
A worker on the timber cable in the region alerted police when he found Bruinsma's bra hooked to the cable.
The incident inspired bloggers and wags, one of whom wrote to Backpacker, "Maybe we should consider adding Victoria's Secret to the Ten Essentials" - the list of 10 things all hikers should carry.
Jessica likely will be in Europe another week and a half, recovering from her injuries, her sister said. "She's OK, but she's bruised up pretty bad," Elana said. "She has four broken ribs and one of them punctured her lung. She probably needs an operation on her leg because of the nerve and tissue damage."
Elana said her sister was in Germany to help a friend run a hostel "literally in the middle of nowhere. She'd gone for a walk last Sunday night and didn't come back," Elana said.
"I talked to her yesterday. She said she'd kind of gotten lost that first day and then she tried to climb down something and fell 20 feet."
She noticed a supply carrier that ran down the mountain, but for two days it never moved.
It rained hard the second night she was stuck on the crag, "so she'd taken off her clothes to let them dry," Elana said. "She was going to use her bra for a sling because she'd dislocated her shoulder."
But then, the supply line began to move, and she got an idea. "I asked her if she could have gotten in it, but she said it wasn't big enough for that."
So, Jessica attached the bra to the supply line and hoped for the best. She told rescuers she hung out on the crag, drank water and ate biscuits.
After the worker spotted the bra and alerted police, rescuers changed their area of focus and reached her in a matter of hours on Thursday.
Jessica "does all kinds of things outdoors - she hikes, she bikes, she does marathons, triathlons," Elana said. "She was a ski instructor, she's led hikes in the backcountry."
Has she always been resourceful?
"Obviously, we know she is now," Elana said. "She really is a very low-maintenance person compared to the rest of us."
Jessica's mother happened to be in France on a hiking trip, and as soon as she heard the news, she raced to Germany.
Elana said she is looking forward to hugging her sister and getting more details of the great underwear ordeal. "It certainly is going to be a famous bra," she said.
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.
Featured
-
DPS improvements
This interactive shows you how schools will benefit under the bond proposal.
-
2008 Voter’s Guide
Use our Ballot Builder tool to compare your viewpoints to the candidates.
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on today's events.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's totally biased postgame rant about the Broncos-Jaguars game.
-
A Dozen on Denver
Manuel Ramos' story is featured this week on 'A Dozen on Denver.' Check it out!
-
Peak Picks
Submit your fall foliage photos to our contest and vote on other submissions.
-
Presidential Elections
See how Colorado counties have voted through the years.
-
County election profiles
A look at how residents in each Colorado county may vote.
-
A dream fulfilled
A Rocky Mountain News and MediaStorm production
June 23, 2008
8:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
BroncoRick69 writes:
...Yet another good use for a bra.
June 23, 2008
8:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Does this mean if we see a bra hanging out on someone's clothesline, there's a damsel in distress inside the house?
To the rescue, boys!
June 23, 2008
9:15 a.m.
Suggest removal
Scott writes:
That bra must have been made by Omar The Tent Maker! :-)
Good one Gene!
Scott
June 23, 2008
9:40 a.m.
Suggest removal
Shaggy writes:
This is a very titillating story.
This lady was thinking and so was the logger who called for help.
Love it when a plan works out.
June 23, 2008
9:41 a.m.
Suggest removal
gs writes:
What's on a mans mind?
June 23, 2008
10:03 a.m.
Suggest removal
plotz writes:
There must have a good wind to fill out the cups and make it visible. In Uberman land...it is called a "Busenhalter". In this case, it halted the wandering eyes of Germanic Teutons to see her distress.
Another thought, what was the distance between her and the loggers below? Was it really the color of the "busenhalter"? One wonders.
The police chief said she was in great physical shape...how does that relate to her signaling with the bra?
June 23, 2008
10:08 a.m.
Suggest removal
plotz writes:
Maybe the bra will become a model for one of female leads in a Wagnerian opera.
What color was the bra? Red,white and black to get the Germans attention?
June 23, 2008
10:19 a.m.
Suggest removal
BroncoRick69 writes:
36 DD DDAMN.
June 23, 2008
10:25 a.m.
Suggest removal
plotz writes:
This is all very Freudian. Tall Mountains, young bodacious lady in distress, German loggers handling Phallic symbols(schwing), rescuers climbing the mountains to get to her. Hmmm.
June 23, 2008
10:36 a.m.
Suggest removal
Shaggy writes:
Plotz,
Are you saying you can foresee a movie in the makings?
June 23, 2008
10:42 a.m.
Suggest removal
plotz writes:
To Shaggy...yes from both sides of the coin. It could be called "Cups" or "Climb Every Mountain"...perhaps "Titanic of the Alps".
On another note, I wonder if she stranded on the ocean or a large lake, if she would have used it as a sail? Or imagine being attacked by a bear or the like, would she like David, put stones in the cups and use it as a sling?
June 23, 2008
10:48 a.m.
Suggest removal
Jim writes:
Grand Tetons, look for the bra on Ebay.
June 23, 2008
11:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
temurlan writes:
That had to stink being stuck out there for so long with 4 broken ribs, punctured lung, injured leg, rain, etc. Glad she's gonna be fine.
June 23, 2008
11:48 a.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Well since the photo appears to have been provided by good old Mom and Dad, we better all behave ourselves here - they're probably reading!
June 23, 2008
12:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
Vector049 writes:
I trust she is going to receive a bill for rescue expenses.
June 23, 2008
1:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
jcin16 writes:
Seems pretty distasteful to include the 24 year old's (keyword) bra size, especially when the story is just as newsworthy without this extra detail. Would the size have been included if it was a 32A? Or flagged around by an 82 year old woman? Hmmm. Betcha not.
June 23, 2008
1:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
freethought writes:
Completely sexist article.
It doesn't tell you that the rescuing lumberjack quickly tore off his jockstrap to make a torniquet and sling.
June 23, 2008
1:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
leatherneck writes:
She was smart and lucky!!
I am glad that this story has a happy ending, but she broke many of the biggest rules of hiking.
"She'd gone for a walk last Sunday night and didn't come back,"
Never hike at night!!.....Dua.....She must of been drunk!
Never hike alone in unknown area.
I think she is lucky to be alive.
She was completely unprepared to go on a hike. If she really does lead hikes in the back country, she forgot some important rules for survival. I am glad she doesn't lead me.
June 23, 2008
1:29 p.m.
nonayerbsns writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
June 23, 2008
2:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
freethought writes:
A typo on the part of the commentor.
June 23, 2008
2:58 p.m.
Suggest removal
freethought writes:
AH, THE ONGOING EDITORIAL PROCESS....
June 23, 2008
3:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
sundaywon writes:
Most of you "boys" would have died out there because A.)you don't have a bra and B.) ain't no one gonna spot your tiny little underpants.
June 23, 2008
3:59 p.m.
Suggest removal
temurlan writes:
...or C.) go commando.
June 23, 2008
4:06 p.m.
gr8fuldude writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
June 23, 2008
4:18 p.m.
Suggest removal
rmnreader writes:
d.) loggers wouldn't bother looking twice at a pair of men's underwear
Also does anyone really think the size of the bra mattered?! A guy working in the middle of nowhere + a bra?! You've got most men's attention just at that - they don't need details - they're picturing a DD & will tell the story as such!
June 23, 2008
4:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Actually ladies, and just as a survival tip, I would tend to think that a bright red teddy would perhaps be the most attention-getting garment that one might use as a distress signal. So if you're going to go hiking alone...
June 23, 2008
5:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
ecoscience writes:
Should the size of the bra affect your chances of rescue?
June 23, 2008
5:44 p.m.
Suggest removal
farsidefan writes:
Leatherneck,
I agree with you on the common sense of this young lady. She was very lucky. Remember Aaron Ralston ? He went out alone, had to cut off his arm after he was trapped ? They made him out to be a hero of some sort. He now makes mega bucks giving lectures on motivation,telling his story,etc.
I remember a story about a guy who went fishing up near St. Mary's glacier. On his way down in the afternoon, he slipped and his leg became stuck in between two rocks. He had to cut off his leg at the knee.
He survived and never thought anything about it except he was grateful to be alive.
Don't go alone !
June 23, 2008
5:55 p.m.
Suggest removal
5280 writes:
RMN what a bunch of boobs you are. I have seen this story on several national news sites none of them chose to print the bra size of this young lady, only you, you're so full of integrity.
June 23, 2008
8:43 p.m.
Suggest removal
davies writes:
Well 5280, I guess this is just another sorry example of LIBERAL BIAS in the media. Yes, a very liberal bust size estimate was reported as simple fact right here, until alert reader 'nonayerbsns' challenged this obvious misreporting of the facts at 1:29 this afternoon. Where is the fact checking? Where was the conservative estimate of her probable bra size? DEPLORABLE!
June 23, 2008
10:31 p.m.
Suggest removal
buff032 writes:
Just to set the record set, she does not have 36 DD. This is an error of the media. You would think that the local news would be able to check their sources before they print articles. It is a remarkable story and she has definitely earned the title of a survivor woman, however this story makes it about big breast, which has nothing to do with her remarkable story.
June 23, 2008
10:33 p.m.
Suggest removal
buff032 writes:
P.S mom and dad, and friends and family are reading....
June 24, 2008
12:20 p.m.
Suggest removal
mrfxx writes:
I hesitate to point out - it's a sports bra. For the unitiated, those tend to come in small, medium, large, etc - not cup sizes. And based on the pictures of the young lady, I'd venture to guess she's a medium. With 3 brothers, I tend to agree with the comment about "A guy working in the middle of nowhere + a bra?! You've got most men's attention just at that - they don't need details". Lucky, quick thinking girl.
June 24, 2008
2:15 p.m.
Suggest removal
drnofog writes:
"I asked her if she could have gotten in it, but she said it wasn't big enough for that." -That would have to be a VERY big bra for her to ride down in...
June 24, 2008
2:37 p.m.
Suggest removal
The_Punnisher writes:
drnofog writes:
"I asked her if she could have gotten in it, but she said it wasn't big enough for that." -That would have to be a VERY big bra for her to ride down in...
Check out the FRAULEINS in a Wagnerian TEUTONIC OPERA.
Their " equipment " would " fill the bill "...8-)...
June 24, 2008
6:43 p.m.
nonayerbsns writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
June 25, 2008
6:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
nonayerbsns writes:
Why did the rocky mountain 'news' say she had 36 dd? Why did they remove my post? Because she may have purchased said boobs or because they were wrong in their initial reporting... which only served to get the attention of the readers?