"My bra saved my life": a wrong turn and a bad fall during a hike in the wilderness left 25-year-old Jessica Bruinsma lost, cold, and hungry for days. Then she had an ingenious idea.(Real-Life Reads)

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

When I set out for a short 4-mile hike this past June, I couldn't have felt happier. I had a fun summer job, living ill the German Alps and working at a bed-and-breakfast, while I immersed myself in the amazing scenery.

The weather was gloomy that day, but it didn't stop me. I regularly hiked in the mountains surrounding the town, about two hours south of Munich. I've always loved being outside--I grew up in Colorado and have led hiking trips--so I wasn't nervous about exploring. Still, I made sure to tell a friend where I was going.

Little did I know, I'd never find my way back. At some point, I had turned off the main trail--rain and fog made it hard to spot the markers. I didn't realize my blunder until I was hopelessly lost. I was wearing a thin long-sleeve shirt and pants, but the temperature was dropping and it was getting late. I wits in trouble.

Desperate to find the trail, I stepped out onto an overhang to get a better view. But the ground was soft and loose, and I slipped and fell 15 feet onto a slope below, tumbling until I slammed into a boulder. As bad Ks it hurt, it's scary to think of what might have happened if I had kept falling or, worse, landed on nay neck.

I sat up and my body ached--though the fear temporarily dulled the pain--and I had a gash on my forehead. I started vomiting, probably the result of a concussion. I yelled for help until I was hoarse, and when I realized no one could hear me, I was in such shock that I had to remind myself to breathe. I hugged my knees for warmth mad tucked my head inside my shirt. I was too nervous to sleep, so I lay there in the dark, wet mad injured, waiting for the sun.

A Stroke of Luck