Phoenix council OKs settlement over woman’s rescue ordeal

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix City Council has approved a settlement of up to $450,000 for a woman whose rescue basket spun uncontrollably while she was being airlifted off a mountain hiking area. City firefighters said at the time that the basket got caught in a downwind from the helicopter. They also said that a cable line intended to stop the basket from rotating broke during the June 2019 incident. The spinning continued for about 40 seconds as the crew tried several times to raise and lower the basket to get it out of the spiral. Katalin Metro was being rescued after falling on a Piestewa Peak trail. She had to have surgery for a spinal cord injury because of the out-of-control spinning.