PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- It's a video that's hard to watch, and it's also a video that has made headlines around the world.

On Tuesday, a basket carrying an injured 74-year old woman spun out of control as she was flown off Piestewa Peak in Phoenix. That woman is still in the hospital, and on Thursday, her husband talked about how she's doing.

George and Kati Metro are experienced hikers who were together when she fell and broke her nose. 30 minutes later, first responders strapped her into a rescue basket, and the rest is history. Kati has reportedly not seen the viral video. George spoke with Mac and Gaydos on Phoenix-based radio station KTAR-FM Thursday afternoon.

"I kept watching and hoping, just hoping that something would stop it," said George.

The spinning went on for more than a minute. When it stopped, medics took George's wife to the trauma center, where he found her black and blue.

"When I got there, I just couldn't believe it," George said. "Her eyes were all blackened. Her face was all black and blue. Her hands and feet were blue. And I said, 'Jesus, what happened?' She didn't look like this when they put her in the gurney."


George describes what his wife did to get through nearly 200 spins.

"She said she thought she was going to die, and the only thing that saved her was that she took some deep breaths, counted and exhaled, and all she did was breathe in and out and she didn't know when it was going to all end," said George.

George said doctors are still running CT scans, as his wife's arms and legs are affected.

"Right now she's still so dizzy, she hasn't been able to get out of bed," said George. "We're hoping that changes."

George rushed to the trauma center to find Kati unrecognizable, black and blue more than an hour after the incident.

"I know the swollen face and broken blood vessels were caused by the intense spinning," said George.

The victim, meanwhile, is recovering slowly. Besides the swollen face, her hands and feer are also swollen because of the intense spinning. Neighbors, meanwhile, are optimistic she will bounce back.

"Knowing Kati, when she gets up and about they'll be back on the mountain again," said Ron Rymer.

George has been at the hospital every day since the incident, and said the recovery isn't happening as quickly as he hoped.

"We just want to thank everybody for their good wishes," said George. "I appreciate it."