A Drone Helped Find a Missing 47-Year-Old Woman
A woman trekking alone on the trails of Utah never made it back to the trailhead, venturing further out into the wilderness to the point where no one could find her. She left behind her vehicle, signaling to authorities that she had gotten lost. It wasn't until six months later that she was found alive.
Keep reading to find out what had happened to the 47-year-old woman and how she survived on her own for half a year. This true story is simply incredible.
She Started at Dry Canyon Trailhead in Utah
Dry Canyon Trailhead in Diamond Fork Canyon is a popular spot for outdoor enthusiasts. Situated near Salt Lake City, it offers camping and hiking to hot springs.
Unfortunately, in 2020 a woman went missing while visiting the area.
The Woman Never Made It Back To Her Car
It was a normal day in November until a 47-year-old woman set off on the Dry Canyon Trailhead in Diamond Fork Canyon.
She never returned to the parking lot, and US Forest Service officials discovered her car at one of the trail's campgrounds. The search began immediately after they found it.
Several Volunteers Embarked On A Search
More people gathered to help search for the woman lost in the wilderness of the trail and canyon.
Utah County Sheriff's Office deputies joined forces with search and rescue volunteers, combing through the area for any clues that might lead them to her whereabouts. Everyone was determined to find her quickly.
They Found An Abandoned Tent
The search party came up empty-handed, unable to find any trace of the woman. The only clue was an abandoned tent hidden in the bushes, but it couldn't be confirmed if it belonged to her.
Sadly, there were no answers as to why she'd gone or where she might have gone.
Officials Gathered More Information About The Woman
Detectives investigated the area and campground where the woman's car was left. After interviewing someone on the scene, it became apparent that she might have mental health issues.
Co-workers later confirmed this information. It appears that her disappearance may be related to her mental health difficulties.
No One Wanted To Give Up On The Search
Deputies from the Utah County Sheriff's Office and forest service personnel were stumped: they had no clue where the missing woman was located.
With Diamond Canyon being so large, it didn't make their search any easier. Despite this, they remained determined to locate her eventually.
Did She Want To Be Found?
Eventually, authorities concluded that the missing woman didn't want to be found. They believe she voluntarily left her car and wandered into the wilderness of Diamond Fork Canyon. The question was, why?
They didn't even have people to contact to gain information on the missing woman. At the time, it was nothing more than a waiting game, hoping a clue or trace of her would show up.
Searching By The Ground And The Air
In a press release, Sergeant Spencer Cannon of the Utah County Sheriff's Office spoke of what they had found, or didn't find, on the trail.
He said, "Detectives and Search and Rescue officials with the Utah County Sheriff's Office (UCSO) searched the area by ground and from the air but could not find anyone."
Telephone Records And Potential Trip To Colorado
After the trail led to a dead-end, the Utah County Sheriff's Office decided to dive into some detective work. They decided the next best plan of attack was to check telephone records and see if they could pinpoint her location.
What they found suggested she made her way to Colorado after leaving her car and camping apparatus behind.
A Months-Long Search That Led Nowhere
While the Utah County Sheriff's Office met another dead end with the telephone records, not believing she had made her way to Colorado, they decided to try and identify her family.
With the information they had accumulated, they were unable to find anyone. According to Sergeant Cannon, "Over the next several months, efforts were made to identify and contact family without success."
Co-Workers Corroborated The Detectives' Hunch
While they were unable to contact family members, the sheriff's department was able to locate co-workers. The co-workers corroborated what they had already thought, that she did, in fact, struggle with mental illness.
They didn't know why she would wander into the Diamond Canyon area or where she would have gone.
An Aerial Team Came Into The Mix
It took several months, but the department finally put together a team comprised of a Utah County Sheriff's Office sergeant, a search and rescue coordinator, and a group from a nonprofit aerial search organization.
They hoped to find some evidence leading them to the missing woman, which would help them locate her.
Covering More Ground
The team began searching with high hopes that she was still in the Diamond Canyon area. The aerial team had brought along a drone, something that would help them cover way more ground in a shorter amount of time.
Unfortunately, on their first attempt to use the technology, it crashed.
The Drone Crashed
Speaking of the crash to Fox 13, Sergeant Cannon said, "They sent the drone up, and apparently, on one of its first passes, the drone crashed. So they went up looking for the drone that had crashed..."
They didn't anticipate the crashed drone actually helping them in their efforts to find the missing woman.
There Was A Tent At The Crash Site
When the team set off to retrieve the crashed drone, they stumbled upon a tent. "So they went up looking for the drone that had crashed, and in doing that, they came across another small campsite where there was a tent," Sergeant Cannon told Fox 13.
Amazingly, this tent's zipper opened up, and a face popped out.
A Head Popped Out Of The Tent
Sergeant Cannon told Fox 13, "As they're looking at this, the zipper of the tent unzipped, and this woman who we had identified the previous year in November and December of last year sticks her head out."
They had found the missing woman, whose name had not been released to the public.
She Foraged For Food And Had A Water Source
According to the Utah County Sheriff's Office, "This woman… had lost a significant amount of weight and was weak, but she was apparently also resourceful."
It looked as though she had rationed the food she brought along, as well as foraged for grass and moss to eat. There was even a river close by for water.
They Brought Her To A Hospital
After seeing the woman in her makeshift home, authorities believed she knew what she was doing. She purposefully left her car behind to live in Diamond Canyon.
Even so, the deputies were not going to leave her there and decided to bring the 47-year-old to Utah Valley Hospital for a mental health evaluation.
After Nearly Six Months In The Wilderness, She's A Survivor
During an interview, Sergeant Cannon said, '"I have to be honest, we fully expected we wouldn't find anybody related to that alive up here given how long it had been... In situations like that, we often find somebody after they passed away."
"Our hats off to her as a survivor. Whatever else is going on in her life, her ability to survive in undoubtedly difficult circumstances is remarkable." It had been nearly six months since the initial search.
No Laws Were Broken
While she was technically living in a public area, the sheriff's department wanted to make it clear that what the woman did was not against any law.
In a statement, they said, "We want to be clear that while many people might choose to not live in the circumstances and conditions this woman did, she did nothing against the law."