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Betsy Helbing, a freshman business major from Austin was hospitalized from injuries taken when she fell off the railroad bridge running next to Highway 21 that spans the Brazos River the night of Sept 5.
Helbing met up with her Fish Camp for their camp reunion at Zapatos Cantina Wednesday evening. She ended up at the railroad bridge that crosses the Brazos River that night.
"She was out with her DG [Fish Camp Discussion Group] and went to the rail road tracks and laid under the tracks," said Ashley Benson, a sophomore business major and friend of Helbing. "When getting ready to leave, she slipped and fell 30 feet to the muddy banks below."
Haley Conrad, a freshman general studies major and friend of Helbing since the two were three-years old, said she was the first to find out about Besty's fall.
"She had text messaged me and a lot of her friends [saying], 'Hey, I'm on Highway 21 and we are doing this weird tradition with the tracks,'" Conrad said. "I didn't even know it was a tradition actually, we looked it up online to see what the bridge looked like. It was called the whiskey bridge, the description was 'Aggie drinking bridge.'"
Helbing was walking across the bridge when a plank gave way, Conrad said. She tried to step back but lost her balance and fell.
"As soon as she fell she told her friend to call me," said Conrad. "I heard her [scream] when she called me, I don't know if she said 'Haley' or 'help me,' I just heard her voice in the background… It was the her voice in the background… It was the scariest thing of my whole life."
Helbing was flown to St. Joseph Regional Care Center in Bryan where she underwent surgery Saturday.
"At first it was diagnosed she would be paralyzed for life," Benson said.
According to Conrad, Helbing sustained severe injuries including four broken ribs, seven vertebrae, a broken arm and a broken spinal cord. She had a breathing tube inserted to aid her damaged lungs. She also bruised her kidney and liver. From her belly button down, she lacks feeling.
"Currently the doctors say there is a 70 percent chance she will be able to walk again," said Nicole Crum, a sophomore business major who is in the Freshman Business Initiative with Helbing.
Helbing's family created an online journal to chronicle her recovery. www.Caringbridge.org/visit/betsyhelbing1.
"Her family wants for people to pray for her recovery," said Stephanie Powell, a senior education major and family friend of the Helbings.
"She is probably the strongest person I have ever met," said Conrad. "She just kept saying 'I'm going to walk, I'm going to run again.'"
Support for Helbing and her family is steadily increasing each day, Conrad said.
"We've all been there 24-7, we've slept there on the hospital floor," she said. "All of her best friends from high school have flown in from Colorado, Arkansas and Oklahoma. All her church friends and Impact and Fish Camp, everyone has been so supportive."
A Facebook group entitled, "Pray for Betsy" was formed shortly after Helbing was hurt and more than 5,000 people have joined. Soon, T-shirts will be sold bearing the slogan, and profits will go to help the Helbing family pay for medical bills.
Helbing will be moved to St. David's Hospital in Austin sometime between Thursday and Sunday to begin work on rehabilitation.
"I can't express how great of a person she is, she is really strong," Conrad said. "Every person that sees Betsy is like, 'How is she being so strong?' Every time someone comes to see her, she thanks them, she doesn't talk about herself. She's so selfless."
Members of Fish Camp declined to comment.
Chris Hokanson contributed to this story.
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