Ongoing · Law & Policy
3d · Developing story, no final ruling
AI illustrationFirefighters airlifted a hurt 74-year-old hiker and her basket spun in mid-air. Should the city have paid her?
Your callPhoenix paid her $450,000. Was that right?
TL;DR
- 1In June 2019 Katalin Metro, 74, was hurt in a fall on Phoenix's Piestewa Peak; she says she told rescuers she did not want a helicopter.
- 2Firefighters hoisted her in a basket under a helicopter; a safety line broke and the basket spun for over half a minute. She sued for $2 million, saying the ride left her needing spine surgery.
- 3The city denied any wrongdoing and called such spinning rare, but in December 2021 the Phoenix City Council approved a $450,000 settlement.



