Woman airlifted from Backbone State Park after fall

Authorities said a 56-year-old woman from Evansdale was airlifted to a hospital Monday after falling from one of the smaller ridges at Backbone State Park.

Delaware County Sheriff John LeClere said the woman fell about 12 feet and then rolled down a slope along the Maquoketa River before it feeds into Backbone Lake. Rescuers responded around 5:10 p.m. to the area off County Road C57.

"We're not certain of the circumstances of why she fell," LeClere said.

LeClere said the woman, whose name was not released, was unconscious when she was loaded into a helicopter. She was flown to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where her condition Tuesday morning was unknown.

Deputies found two empty pill bottles and a bottle of wine at the scene, LeClere said. He said the woman was terminally ill with cancer and had recently stopped treatments, according to the woman's husband, who was also at the park.

An investigation was continuing.