SACRAMENTO—Nell Hamm, of Fortuna, has received the Woman of the Year honor from Assemblywoman Patty Berg.

“Nell is the ultimate hero,” said Berg D-Eureka. “She kept her wits and saved her darling husband of 50 years from a mountain lion.”

On January 24, Nell saved her husband, Jim, from a mountain lion attack. While on a hike in the Prairie Woods State Park near their home, her husband was attacked by a mountain lion. His head was in the mountain lion’s mouth when she picked up a pen and began stabbing the mountain lion. When that did not work, she proceeded to use a limb to hit the lion and screamed as loud as she could. The mountain lion dropped her husband and, after one final threatening gesture, walked away.

Nell then coaxed a badly injured Jim to pull himself up and walk to safety.

“In one moment, Nell acted quickly to save her husband,” said Berg. “She taught all of us that in a split second we can save someone very dear to us. In one minute an ordinary hike turned into an extraordinary deed.”

The retired couple moved from Camarillo to Fortuna two years ago to enjoy the outdoors and get closer to nature. Hamm was a therapeutic swim instructor for Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District for more than 15 years.

The Woman of the Year ceremony is an annual commemoration to recognize extraordinary women in California in honor of Women’s History Month. Each state legislator picks an honoree in his or her district to commemorate Women’s History Month. The honoree receives recognition in the Assembly Chambers and spends the day with their legislator.