TERREBONE, Ore. -- A Bend woman who fell 70 feet while climbing Smith Rock late last month said Thursday she's feeling better and offered thanks to her rescuers.

"I'd love to say thank you to the search and rescue crew," said Brittanie Shepherd, 24, who is recovering at her mother's home near Portland.

Deschutes County Sheriff's Search and Rescue, sheriff's deputies and Redmond Fire medics took nearly four hours to help Shepherd to safety after she fell 10 feet to a ledge -- then her backpack full of supplies pulled her off the ledge, to another 60-foot plunge.

She broke her ankle in eight places, broke two bones in her back and also suffered a skulled fracture in an incident she barely remembers.

"I mean, that's really blurry and really hazy for me, but I know they put in a tremendous amount of work in getting me out of there," Shepherd said.

In an earlier posting on KTVZ.COM's article about her fall and rescue, Shepherd said, "Smith Rock has become like a second home to me this last summer, and really is a beautiful, magic place."

Her love of the place -- and of climbing -- clearly remain unbroken.

"Rock climbing is a very safe sport," she wrote, "but we must remember that accidents can happen in any situation at any time -- even just walking to where we want to be."

As for "the SAR folks," she added, "I know my life was counting on every second of hard work to be alive."

Echoing another commenter, Shepherd said, "Yes, this will be a grand ol' story to tell the grandkids one day!"

And she signed her notes: "Grateful to be alive."

Grateful, but now in need of a different sort of help -- financial, as Shepherd is uninsured.

Her brother, Ash, has helped start a fund-raising effort to help pay for hospital, physical therapy and related bills, as well as rent while she's out of work.

A Website created at TheBrittFund.com had 120 visits its first day, from three continents, he said. A Facebook page also has been created (search: The Britt Recovery Fund).

Deschutes County 911 got a call around 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25 that a climber had fallen from a trail on the east side of Smith Rock State Park, said sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Shelton,

A climbing party had been traveling to a site in the area, directly behind the ranger’s quarters, when the accident occurred.

Shepherd had lost her footing on the trail, Shelton said. She first fell a short distance, about 10 feet, to a small ledge -- but the backpack she was carrying with climbing gear went over the ledge, pulling her over, he said.

Shepherd then fell another 50 to 60 feet before coming to rest on an outcropping, Shelton said. She was unconscious when others in the climbing party made their way to where she landed.

Redmond Fire, sheriff’s deputies and Sheriff’s Search and Rescue responded to the scene. The Redmond crew rappelled to Sheppard’s location and began treating her, Shelton said.

SAR responded with 18 personnel for the joint rescue operation, which involved 26 people and took about four hours from the initial call to complete, Shelton said.