A group hike through Yosemite National Park ended in a helicopter rescue after Grace, a plus-sized influencer and member of a body positivity hiking group, had to be airlifted off the Mist Trail after her body began to fail partway up the route.
Grace was part of a group called the Hobbit Hikers, founded two years ago with the goal of showing that people of all body sizes and fitness levels can enjoy the outdoors. The trip was organized through Trova Trip, a travel company, and the hike was listed as six miles on the itinerary. However, when all portions of the trail were factored in, including the approach and the full descent, the actual distance totaled 14 miles.
About two miles in, Grace’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Her lips turned blue and purple, she was fluctuating between intense heat and chills, and at one point briefly lost consciousness on another hiker’s shoulder.
Her blood pressure was measured at 200 over 100. Search and rescue arrived and administered IV fluids with anti-nausea medication, hanging the bag from a tree while monitoring her vitals before calling in a helicopter evacuation.
The group’s organizer attributed Grace’s medical episode to Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune thyroid condition that impairs the body’s ability to regulate temperature. She explained that the mist from the waterfall section of the trail had soaked Grace’s body and that she could not recover her core temperature afterward.
“It is not about her body size,” she said. “It’s about the fact that her thyroid does not work.” She also noted that Grace had previously had a seizure after becoming too cold on a flight, and that the group had carried emergency blankets, electrolytes, cooling towels, and additional supplies throughout the hike.
However, according to sources, Hashimoto’s is widely considered a highly manageable condition. It seems like the physical demands of the trail were more likely the primary contributors.
Adipose tissue conducts heat poorly, meaning overweight individuals cool down more slowly during vigorous activity in warm conditions, significantly raising the risk of heat exhaustion.
Speculation about a $70,000 rescue bill that spread online appears to be largely unfounded. Yosemite’s search and rescue helicopter service, Helletrack, is funded through government sources, taxpayers, and grants rather than billed directly to those rescued. Notably, a separate incident occurred the same day in which a physically fit man in his 20s fell 42 feet at the same location and also required helicopter assistance.
