A law on the books in Alaska outlaws texting and driving. Fortunately for one Anchorage woman, it's not yet illegal to walk off a cliff whilst text messaging.
Last Monday, Maria Pestrikoff fell 60 feet down a rocky beach cliff on Kodiak Island, in the northern Gulf of Alaska, while texting on her cellphone. According to the Kodiak Daily Mirror [subscription required], Pestrikoff was walking toward the steep drop to toss a cigarette butt while attempting to send a message when she slipped on wet grass:
A friend heard her screams from the rocks below and called for help.
Rescue crews had to act quickly when they arrived:
Rescuers reportedly rappelled down the cliff and hauled Pestrikoff up in a stretcher to a waiting ambulance.
Pestrikoff is recovering at a hospital in Anchorage.