On a sunny summer day, Paula Johnson saddled up her horse for a friend’s birthday expedition. They spent the morning riding, crossing several small creeks, watching a large herd of elk and their calves disappear over the horizon, riding through cattle, and stopping to water their horses at the water trough along the way. Their intention was to reach the highest point on the ranch by lunchtime. Suddenly, Paula felt her young mare's disposition change as they neared the top of the ranch. Paula glanced down to see what was wrong. Her ears were pinned against her head, as she bolted forward through the closest riders.

Before Paula could react, her horse was at a full downhill gallop, her cowboy hat quickly blew off, causing increasing speed and the horse to buck. "I knew I was in trouble. I had nothing to hold onto, my reins had fallen to the ground, the best I could do was try to stay in the saddle."

“My Dad is no longer here with us — I’m not someone who usually hears voices, but for some reason that day I did,” Paula recounted. “As kids, my dad taught us to take our foot out of the stirrups, so we would not get hung up and possibly dragged by the horse. In that moment, I heard him telling me to do that.”

She listened, pulled her foot free, and was thrown off her horse, hitting the ground several times before landing face first. Paula was knocked unconscious with potential head and spinal injuries, making her situation critical.

Her friends quickly responded by calling 911 and were grateful to have service in the remote location. With minimal options for transport, Fort MacLeod EMS and Fire Department were dispatched to the scene, and their recently acquired side-by-side, off-road vehicle allowed them to reach the area despite its restricted accessibility. Upon arrival, they stabilized Paula while they waited for STARS to arrive.

An hour later, STARS landed right next to where she fell.

Paula, a pharmacy technician at the Black Diamond Hospital, had regularly seen STARS land at work. “When I watch them land and take off I know someone is receiving the critical care I received, and that I was in the best place I could be.”

The next thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital recovering from a brain bleed, a fractured collarbone, eight fractured ribs on one side, one fractured rib on the other, a fractured sternum and a hematoma on her hip.

Four months and a speedy recovery later, she visited the STARS base to thank the crew who saved her life.

Paula said “I was sincerely grateful to meet the actual crew from that day for the first time, having been unconscious during the flight. They provided insight into my unanswered questions, and I had to choke back tears at one point as I thanked them for providing the care I needed to save my life.”

The mare that had thrown Paula off is back on her property. While their bond is strong now, at first, the horse avoided her completely, even turning away from her.

Paula said, “It's unclear whether she was uncertain how to interact with me. Her behavior seemed to convey a sense of regret, as if saying ‘I’m sorry for what happened; I don’t know how to make things right.’”

Today, Paula is back home spending time with her family and her horses. Her steadfast tenacity is evident in her recovery, and the bond she has rebuilt with her mare.