WFAA
A US woman has told of her incredible survival after becoming stranded in remote desert for five days.
An experienced adventurer, Amber Venhecke, 24, was driving to a hiking spot near the Grand Canyon’s southern rim on her own when her Google Maps advised her to take a wrong turn.
‘The problem was, the road wasn’t there,’ she told ABC News. Eventually her GPS stopped working and her car ran out of petrol in a remote and dark area.
Amber desperately tried to call emergency services, but the call dropped out.
‘And that was the first moment I felt true panic,’ she said.
This was the start of a five-day ordeal where Amber, who had packed some basic water and non-perishables, feared she would die alone in the remote bush.
On one of the days, a truck flew past but didn’t see her.
Crafting an SOS sign and writing notes to leave with her car, Amber eventually decided to hike to get service. It was 17 kilometres into that hike that she finally got service and called for help.
Meanwhile, search crews had desperately being trying to find her.
‘She did a lot of things that helped her survive,’ said Jonah Nieves, a member of the Air Rescue team with the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
‘Those notes were clues and those clues led us to where she was.’
Amber was treated for dehydration and exposure, but was back out exploring the next day.
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