Mom-of-two, 34, who went missing on a hike in California dies just hours after being rescued following two nights in freezing temperatures wearing just a tank top and leggings
A mom-of-two who went missing on a hike in California last Thursday died just hours after being rescued, following two nights in freezing temperatures.
Cassandra Bravo, 34, died in hospital Saturday after falling 100 feet while out walking on the Mount Whitney trail.
The nurse was found alive, having pulled herself under a log for shelter from the -20 degree wind chill temperatures wearing just a tank top and leggings. But she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being taken to the Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster.
Cassandra's 10-year-old son Jonathan told CBS he 'got to hug her and tell her I loved her and tell her goodbye', adding: 'She meant everything to me.'
Cassandra Bravo, 34, died in hospital Saturday after falling 100 feet while out walking on the Mount Whitney trail last Thursday. She is pictured with her two children
The nurse was found alive, having pulled herself under a log for shelter from the -20 degree wind chill wearing just a tank top and leggings. But she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being taken to the Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster.
Her friend, Luisa Moya, told CBS: 'She survived two very cold nights and was alive when they rescued her. I'm so proud of her for that.
'Her spirit was so strong. She was badass.'
She added: 'She knew that her people were there, her family was there. We didn't give up on her, and then we found her.'
A GoFundMe page set up to help the nurse's son and seven-year-old daughter in the wake of her death had raised more than $50,000 as of Thursday morning
A GoFundMe page set up to help her son and seven-year-old daughter in the wake of her death had raised more than $50,000 as of Thursday morning.
It details how Cassandra 'was mumbling at the time they airlifted her out', adding" 'Everyone was shocked she had survived that amount of time outside in the cold in nothing but a tank top and leggings.'
Her family had raised the alarm after she failed to come home Thursday night. Her car was found Friday at the Whitney Portal trailhead.
Loma Linda University Medical Center said in a statement: 'Cassie was an incredible woman, mother, friend, and nurse.
'She was passionate about nursing and she was an incredible advocate for her patients. She was a single mom who loved her children fiercely and has left a legacy that will always be remembered.'