September 27, 2025 • 38 mins
Hikers and Their DOGS Vanished
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hello, friends, Welcome to a special episode called My Dog
Saved Me And a lot of these cases we cover.
People that get lost hiking often have their dogs with them.
Sometimes neither person nor the dog has ever seen again.
There are other times that the person who's never found
but the dog returns. If only dogs could talk in
(00:30):
these cases, however, today that's something a little different. These
are cases where people miraculously made it after being lost
in the woods, but they contend that they were saved
by their dog. So cut up with human's best friend
or your fur baby, Sit back, relax and have a listen.
(00:51):
First up has a Great Bear Wilderness rescue Badline Calmly.
The twenty three year old Illinoy woman Madline Connolly went
missing with her dog Mogi in the Great Bear Wilderness
area in Montana on May fourth, twenty seventeen. Connelly was
only supposed to be gone on an overnight camping trip,
(01:12):
but didn't return. The search and rescue mission was launched
on the sixth of May. Realizing she wasn't in the
right place. On the first night, she became lost and
wandered farther into the wilderness and away from her vehicle,
thinking if she just stayed on the trail she was
on she would eventually make it back to her car.
She walked for hours and ended up at a lake.
(01:34):
Knowing that she was far from where she should be,
she stopped there for a while, even though she had
no shelter, was lightly dressed totally had to seek shelter
under the trees at night and share body heat with
her dog.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Not realizing the.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Media attention the case was getting the last day, she
thought she would make it back to her car, bill
for a coke, and return to her uncle's house. In fact,
several search and rescue teams had already been gun looking
for the woman. She was found safe on Mother's Day
a search and rescue team to bear air rescue and
was lifted to safety. Coally was visiting family in Montana
(02:12):
on her way to a job at a baker in Alaska.
The dog, Mogi, was also found alive and they were
reunited the next day after Colley was released from the hospital.
Finally claims that without the dog to keep her warm,
she probably would have perished. Next, we have Lost in Canada,
The story of a net poatress. Fifty six year old
(02:35):
British Columbian dog walker Anette Poatress went missing after falling
on a hike and knocking herself unconscious. Patress left her
house with Bubba, Roxy and Chloe, who were a little
walk in the woods when she slipped and fell, hitting
her head in the fall. She also lost her phone
in gloves. She doesn't remember how long she was out for,
(02:56):
but when she came back around she had to go
find one of the three dogs that had worn off
while she was knocked out. After finding the dog, she
tried following the BC Hydro power lines, but was too weak.
Her second night being lost, over one hundred search and
rescue personnel were raised and people were out looking for
her and the dogs. Her third day of the elements
(03:19):
was her last. Rescuers heard one of the dogs barking
and was able to find Potrust and her forry friends,
all alive and well. She spent a week in the
hospital due to exposure from the elements, and in an
interview she said she didn't think she would have survived
one more night in the elements. Annette Poatrust was able
to turn her ordeal into a novel. Author Anne Brewin
(03:40):
spent an entire week with her family while writing the
novel based on the recollection of Petrust about the three
days she spent missing in the BC Wilderness. The name
of the book is Three Dog Nights and covers both
the missing woman's perspective as well as that of her family.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I would have probably died without the dogs.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Poatrust said. They kept me going and they kept me warm.
I don't know how I survived the Utah Wilderness. Danielle Ballanjing.
Deciding to get into better shape for several winter triathlons
and a snowshoe racing season event, World champion adventure athlete
(04:20):
Danielle Balange sent out to the Utah Wilderness to get
in some exercise with her companion Task. She hadn't been
to this loop in a while, and Tass, her dog,
was excited to.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Go for a run.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Danielle is known for her amazing endurance and strength. While
telling her story, she reminisces about today she adopted the dog.
I got him from a puppy rescue. This one puppy
sort of stood out. Danielle said. He was energetic and
he liked to run around. He was hyper. He had
this playful attitude about him. I sort of connected with that.
(04:53):
I remember some other lady went over to Task and
was holding him, and I looked at this lady and
said to myself, that's my dog. He wasn't dog yet,
but I just knew he was the one. So I
kept an eye on this lady she was playing with Taz.
As soon as she set him down, I snatched him
up and said, I want this one. There's just something
that drew me to Task that I knew he was
the one for me. December thirteenth, two thousand and six,
(05:16):
Danielle had returned a few emails, grabbed a bottle of water,
got Taz, and headed for her truck. She just headed
out to one of her favorite spots in the Utah
Candian to do a routine run, and later that day
he planned on doing some kayaking. Despite the beauty of
this area, few people transverse it due to the desolate location.
It was a clear, sunny winter day, with the temperatures
(05:38):
in the desert that time of a year often in
the thirties during the daytime and drop into the single
digits at night. Her day was planned full of adventures,
with a hike at a kayaking run. When she reached
the trail she wanted to hide. Danielle observed that she
was not the only person in the area. Heading out
on the trail. She was about to face one of
the hardest challenges she had ever endured, and it would
(06:00):
change her life forever. The area surrounding moab Utah is
popular for sight seeing, hiking, mountain biking.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Walks, and other outdoor activities.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
The beauty of the canyon land is alluring, but this
area has a dangerous site and can be very unforgiving
to anyone that dare become complacent to those dangers. The
terrain can change within feet and takes lives very quickly.
Just in December two thousand and six alone, two men
have been fatally injured in the same area Danielle was
hiking in. Specifically, trained search and rescue teams are often
(06:33):
dispatched to eight hikers, mountain climbers, and other adventures when
they meet with the worst this place of beauty has
to offer.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
At this point in her.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Life, Danielle had one Athlete of the Year six times
and was in peak piscopal condition. Used to pushing herself
to her limits and sometimes beyond. Shobson faced this area
with no fear, as she had been here many times
into the terrain well. Having stretched properly and drank some
water to hydrate herself, Danielle headed out on an uncharted
(07:02):
trail that led miles into the vast expanse of the
desert Pass. Was running ahead of her tried to keep
up with him. Danielle picked up her pace a few
more steps at the faster pace, and suddenly Danielle lost
her footing when she stepped on a loose piece of
shell rock and started to.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Slide down an embankment.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Unable to stop herself, she slid all the way down
to the edge of the bank and hit a twenty
foot drop in free fall. I had just enough time
to see my life kind of spin in my head
and think this is it. This is how I'm going
to meet my inn. She landed hard on her feet
and then on her side, immediately shatting her pelvis and
causing internal bleeding. However, Danielle didn't know just how seriously
(07:41):
she was injured. The place she landed was a shelf
that jutted out over a sand wash that was winding.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Its way through the canyon.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
She was perched another fifteen feet above the bottom of
the canyon, but She came to her senses after the
fall and realized she thankfully wasn't dead. She immediately went
into survival mode started to take stock of her injuries,
trying to figure out where she was hurt. Danielle could
feel her legs, so she knew she wasn't paralyzed, but
she couldn't move them. The rest of her body seemed
(08:10):
to be okay. Her next task was to figure out
how to get out of the canyon and back to
her truck, as she knew she needed a hospital right away.
Despite her pelvis being shattered and the pain that was
starting to grip her, Danielle tried to stand up and
walk out of the canyon, but because the pelvist attaches
the top half of the body to the lower half,
her legs simply couldn't support her weight as she immediately
(08:32):
fell back to the ground. With adrenaline now surging through
her body, she was able to roll onto her stomach
and started crawling.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Her way out of the canyon.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Knowing she was trapped on a ledge, all Danielle could
do was try to go back the way she came
a few moments after she started crawling, Taz made his
way onto the ledge. This was the motivation she needed
to keep going. Danielle was scared that she was trapped
on the sandstone shelf where she'd landed, but if Taz
had found a way down to her, and there had
(09:01):
to be a way off, Danielle was able to find
her way off the cliff and down to the bottom
of a canyon, where she had to stop and rest.
She rolled over on her back and rested up against
the rock. She had managed to keep her water bottle
in her pocket even after she had fallen, so she
drank the last of this water while contemplating her next move.
(09:22):
She knew that the adrenaline was keeping her going and
keeping the paint in chake for now, but it was
starting to wear off. Each movement she made now was
excruciating and took much more effort than before. Danielle was
well aware that the desert had already claimed two lives
just that month, and it was now getting dark, which
would drop the temperatures outside to below freezing, so she
(09:44):
had to do everything she could to not become its
next victim. Drawing on her athletic training, she used crutches
to keep herself awake and keep warm. She was only
able to move her up her body from her shoulders
to her arms, and continued doing crunches at a pace
of one every five seconds all night. As the temperature
dropped into the low twenties, Taz comed up next to
(10:05):
her and they shared body heat, which also helped her
stay warm. As the sun came up the next morning,
dan Yell realized she was out of water completely, and
the adrenaline that had helped her so much the day
prior was now totally gone, and she was in severe pain,
barely able to move, she knew she needed to find
water right away. Holding her breath, she rolled over onto
(10:28):
her stomach and the pain shot through her like a
red hot poker. Thankfully, there was a small puddle of
rainwater nearby the place she had been resting. She and
Taz were able to take a few steps to keep
them going for the time being. Settling in near this
pitiful water source, the realization was starting to hit about
her perilous situation. She knew no one was looking for
(10:49):
because she hadn't told anyone her plans for the day before.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Not Able to drag.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Herself any further, and the water supply she had found
was dwindling, Danielle had to figure out what would kill
her first, dehydration or freezing. The water was full of
sand and silt, and knowing water that was unfiltered could
harbor harmful bacteria, she decided to conserve the water, but
yet stay as close to it.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
As she could.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
It didn't taste good, but it was all they had
and enough to keep them going for now. This small
victory of finding the water gave her some much needed
encouragement to keep trying to help herself. Drinking water also
posed another problem. If she had to urinate, it could
aid the hypothermia that had already started from not being
able to move her legs and feet, and by this
(11:34):
time it had already been well over twenty four hours
since she had gone By midday on day two, Danielle
could tell something else was happening internally that wasn't good.
She could feel an area in her abdomen that was
really soft, swollen, and tender. Danielle didn't know it at
the time, but she was bleeding internally. As she prepared
(11:55):
to spend a second night in the cold desert, Danielle
was finding it harder to keep in her right mind.
She had started hallucinating from fatigue and blood loss. The
hallucinations caused her to see bright lights in the sky
and hear conversations that weren't happening. Also, the exercising that
was keeping her from developing hypothermia was now almost impossible
(12:15):
to do from the pain as laid by himself the
second night, and the exercising that was keeping her warm
was now almost impossible. That night seemed to drag on,
and everything she saw she had to question if it
was real or if she was hallucinating again. The stars
looked like bright spirals hurtling towards the earth in her
(12:35):
ray of colors. Hypothermia, dehydration, internal bleeding, and cessation of
bodily functions were taking a toll on the extreme athlete,
and she was losing her battle to survive. Day three
brought even more pain. Danielle could barely move and had
been awake for almost three days. She didn't know it
(12:56):
at the time, but she had lost almost half of
her blood supply to internal She was horribly dehydrated, had frostbite,
was suffering from hypothermia, had a shattered pelvis, and was
bleeding to death inside. Determined to get out on this day,
She prepared herself to try for another self rescue. Biting
(13:16):
back to pain, she slowly turned from her back onto
her stomach as a scream escaped her mouth. Back in Moab,
several phone calls had been made to the police from
Danielle's family and friends. The local detective knew Danielle because
she was a well known athlete, and he knew where
she trained in the desert. He was going out that
way and told the other deputies he would check the
area and let them know what, if anything. He discovered
(13:40):
Danielle only having made it a few inches before becoming
stuck in a sandy rud. She could make it no further.
She was starting to lose her vision and was too
weak to make any advance. She was able to make
it back to her drooling water supply as she gave
in to defeat. As she lay crying awaiting death, Taz
made his way over to her and licked her tears
(14:01):
accompany her. The detectives made his way out to the canyon,
and as he came around a corner, he saw Danielle's truck,
which she was nowhere in sight. He radioed his findings
back to Moab, and a search and rescue mission was started.
Within the hour, the Grand County Search and Rescue Team
of Utah and the rest of volunteers made their way
out to the canyon and geared up for a rescue
(14:21):
or possible recovery event. John Marshall, the lead search team member,
would take charge of the mission. The team was briefed
as they selected their other team members for certain areas
so they could use the equipment brought to aid. New
I was pretty close to dying at that point. I'd
given up hope. Danielle recounts on the start of day
three in the desert, I was scared no one was
(14:42):
looking for me, or they wouldn't find me. After an
amazing fifty one hours of not urinating because she knew
that would cause hypothermia to take hold of her even
faster because the way flowing her broken pelvis prevent her
from being able to take her pants down, so she
would have to go where she was laying. I knew
I was dying. I started thinking about my life, my family,
(15:05):
my friends, and who would care for Taz. I thought
about how much they all meant to me. I really
thought I was going to die. I was dying in desperation,
Danielle began talking to Taz, I need help Tas. Danielle
was crying now. Taz laid with his head on her chest,
comforting her. Tas was her only chance now and she
(15:28):
needed him to understand her plight. Aaz stood up and
turned his hand as if to understand what Danielle was
saying to him. He turned his head from side to side,
taking in each word. He started to leave and run
towards the way they had come in, but just before
rounding the corner from Danielle and losing sight of her,
he slowly turned and looked at her.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Go.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Danielle shouted to Task, but that Tas was gone and
Danielle was all alone, insured, cold, hungry, and unable to move,
literally on the verge of death. She wondered if she
ever see Taz again, or anyone for that matter. It
was a hard decision to send Taz away, but he
was all she had to maybe get help to her.
(16:09):
Maybe there would be other hikers that would see him
and read his tags, report it and they would figure
out where she was. She didn't want to be alone,
but sending him was the only option she had left.
John Marshall made it to the area where Danielle's truck
was parked. After briefing on who they were looking for
and where they were supposed to look, the teams started
(16:30):
out into the canyon. Utah backcountry in the southeast area
doesn't play any favorites. It's a beautiful, odd inspiring landscape,
but it can also be deadly. Aftain Marshall and another
team member were on a Mazon looking around the area
of binoculars when Marshall swatted a dog. There's a dog
down there, he said to the team member has had
(16:51):
found his way out of the canyon and it was
headed straight to the rescuers. They knew Danielle had a dog,
but bearing the dog was there because Danielle was no
longer alive. This made their heart strop. As Taz reached
others in the search party, he didn't stop. His energy
was high and he kept running around as if trying
to get their attention. Bego Gerhart was an experienced tracker
(17:12):
and took notice of task peculiar behavior. They noticed he
wasn't interested in food and water they had provided for him.
He just kept running around the trackers trying to get
their attention. Not knowing where to start looking and knowing
the area was over a thousand square miles, they pinned
down a search area and sent Gearhart on an ATV
through the canyon while others went to the rim area.
(17:33):
By the time they had started the search, evening was
fast approaching. Garhart was the first to leave the rendezvous area,
and Task followed him. As he searched, he noticed tracks
that looked a couple of days old. He decided to
follow the tracks. Before he could start the trail, Taz
took off in front of him. Gar Heart knew Task
was taking him where they needed to go. A massive
(17:53):
snowstorm was moving into the area and was forecasted to
start that night. They knew they could only search for
a few hours that evening, only willing to follow Task
for a few more minutes. Gearhart was having to go
slow because of the terrain. Task came running around the
corner and Danielle was in the same place.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
When he left.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
She noticed that his demeanor had changed. He was high
energy and ran straight for the small puddle that was
the only water supply and drank heavily, his tail wagging.
He went to Danielle and barked. Danielle, knowing that the
water was their only lifeline now, was too weak to
tell Taz no. I just watched as he drank and
then bark. She didn't know Tas was bringing help, but
(18:34):
just a short moment later she heard the ATV help.
She shouted, I need help. It was the best moment
of my life. She'd been found. That's one good dog
you have there, Gerhart said to Danielle, Taz was a hero.
Danielle was there lifted to a hospital where she underwent
emergency surgery. She had seven broken blood vessels in her
(18:57):
pelvic area that had leaked three pints into her abdomen,
a broken pelvis, hypothermia, and frostbite. Medical professionals beard she
would never walk again. Despite her ordeal, Danielle endured six
hours of surgery, months of rehab, and quickly regained her
ability to walk. She's now married, has a baby, and
(19:21):
Taz is right by her side. Miracle on the White
Mountains Cheryl Powell July eleventh, twenty nineteen. Sixty year old
Cheryl Powell was waiting for her husband on a hillsite
as he turned their jeep around at a remote campsite
near the California and about a border when she suddenly
went missing along with the couple's dog. Her husband had
(19:43):
taken a little more than about seven minutes to move
the vehicle, and when he returned to the campsite, Cheryl
was nowhere to be seen.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
He looked for her for.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
About half an hour before contact to the authorities to
help him search. The couple chose her boat side at
the Grandview Campsite near Bishop, California. P experienced hiker hike
to her husband twenty four miles per week and was
a strong woman. Search teams fought through rough terrain, gullies,
shale slopes, little shade, and extreme heat search for the
(20:11):
missing woman. Files's husband thought she had been abducted and
made a tearful plea for the safe return of his wife.
For forty two years, not many details of Pal's four
day ordeal had been released, but when she was found,
it was reported that she was alive, strong and resilient,
but exhausted after having been missing for four days. She
(20:31):
would later state that a man with a knife chased
her off betrayal and into the woods while her husband
was away. Searchers first found the couple's dog and soon Cheryl.
She was located near Montenegro Springs area on Monday, July fifteenth,
twenty nineteen, and area described as extremely remote. She was
taken to a local hospital, where she was reunited with
(20:53):
her family. She was happy to be alive and her
family was related to see her. The dog was in
great condition and was reunited with the family later the
same day. Cheryl would later say, describing the ordeal, all
of a sudden, some guy pops out from behind a
tree or something. Describing the incident that led her disappearance,
it was scary. I was really nervous about the fact
(21:15):
things threatening to do my dog harm. In an interview
with NBC, Cheryl described the man as a big guy,
hurtly bald headed with tan skin. She said his initial
approach scared enough to act pretty docile and let him.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Think I was going to go along with him.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
She also told NBC she bolted as soon as she
had the chance, although she does state that she never
saw him again. After the first day, Definitey's interviewed people
to campground and used the loudspeaker to call out for
Powell and her dog Miley. Search and rescue personnel also
come to the area using people on foot, dogs and helicopters.
Late Monday morning, searchers reported finding Miley the dog about
(21:55):
two and a half miles from the campground. A short
while later, they found Sherry Powell alt I've been exhausted.
It was Miley's barking that alerted the search and rescue
personnel their presence. They found her some two hundred yards away.
Cheryl's son Greg reported on Facebook. My mom is an
amazing human being and she looks pretty good given the situation.
(22:15):
Her first words to us were I'm so sorry I'll
put you through that. You guys must have been so worried,
just proving how selfless she is. Dan Yoke County Sheriff's
Office also reported that searchers were happy to have found Cheryl.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Powell and Miley alive.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
We're grateful that miss Powell and her dog were found
alive and well, the department reported on Facebook. Our office
is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. We have
no further information at this time. Next up, we have
Little Girl Lost, the story of Victoria bench Bomb and
(22:52):
daughter had just returned from her walk when three year
old Victoria bench wanted to.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Play on the porch eating to make lunch.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
He mother just decided to let her play and felt
comfortable leaving her on the porch of the family dog
only inside for a few moments. Upon her return, Victoria
was nowhere to be seen and the dog was missing too.
The family searched on them for about an hour before
contacting the police. By the time the police got to
the area, they only had about thirty minutes of daylight
(23:19):
left the search. Search area was rugged and it had
lost the foliage. The police also decided to search other
homes in the area for offenders of minor children, but
nothing was found.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
The next morning, the.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Police were able to get a helicopter of the air
and shortly after spotted the little girl laying under a bush.
She was half a mile away from her home and
her companion, Blew the dog was right.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
By her side.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Victoria was wearing only tennis shoes, a short sleeved shirt,
and light pants. It's surmised that the dog stayed with
her and kept her warm through the night. Otherwise, it's
not believed that she could have survived temperatures that were
in the low thirties. Victoria was transported to an area
hospital a precaution for a checkup, and was reunited with
her family later that day, right along with her loyal
(24:05):
friend and faithful companion Blue. And finally, we have Into
the Alps, the story of Matt Briggs and his dog.
Having planned a week long hiking trip into the Alps
of New Zealand, thirty three year old Matt Briggs, an
avid outdoors enthusiast and hunter, and his companion, little Dog
head off into the wilderness of arguably the most beautiful
(24:27):
landscape the area had to offer. Having been hiking for
four days already of a planned ten day trip, Matt
and his loyal companion were having a wonderful time, but
were having to take caution because the mountains in some
areas are nearly vertical, which makes for a difficult hike.
As one would imagine resting on a ridge at above
six thousand feet sea level, Matt was taking extra care
(24:49):
when placing his footing as a fall could mean certain death.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Ready to start descending.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
And head to the valley floor for the day, Matt
had just reached a corner on the cliff he was
standing on was about to start looking for the best
way down, when suddenly the rock he was standing on
came loose and broke off from the cliff. The whole
slab of the cliff broke off and took Matt with
it in a free fall down a mountain slope. There
wasn't much mac could do except trying to keep himself
(25:15):
as steady as possible and stay on the slab. Losing
his balance and falling in front of it, he would
be crushed to death. Realizing there was a bluff coming
up and that he was going to free fall, he
tried to stay just as steady as possible as he
fell over the edge over thirty feet. He landed on
his back, surrounded by jagged rocks and another sheer cliff base.
(25:36):
Surprised that he was still alive and that his back
wasn't broken, Matt tried to stand up and take stock
of his injuries. As he stood and put weight on
his arm, his wrist gave way, with what was once
fractured to now being fully broken. Using his left hand
to balance himself and get to his feet, he quickly
checked the rest.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Of his body.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Putting weight on his right leg seemed to find but
the left ankle was miserably broken, Matt had left ward
with colleagues at his trip would last for seven to
ten days, so he realized no one to be looking
for him for at least another week. Also right by
the area Matt had landed was a small creek. Looking
at the color of the water, he saw that the
creek had started to turn bright red. Quickly checking himself
(26:18):
once more for lacerations, he noticed he had a very
deep cut on the back of his left thigh. He
couldn't see the cut, but he could feel it.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
With his hand.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
A huge amount of the red life e lecture was
pouring from the cut. Matt, trying to determine how deep
the cut was, used his fingers to measure and found
it to be two knuckles deep two finger lengthd.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
One half inch wide gash.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Matt knew that if he had hit a major artery,
he could quickly pass out and not wake up. He
needed to have this attended to. Bud Fast the dog
had now found his way to Matt and was ever
glad to see him. He pulled a little dog close
and checked him for injuries. Luckily, the dog didn't have
any visible injuries and there was no blood visible either. Naturally,
(27:01):
the dog seemed shaken and nervous, but no worse for
the wear. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his master,
that was in bad shape indeed, but luckily he had
remembered to bring his GPS emergency locator beacon, a small
first aid kid, food rations for both he and little dog,
an emergency blanket, and seasonings for his food.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
This fact will be important later.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Digging the supplies out of his pack that thankfully had
lost dur in the fall, he wanted to get to
the GPS locator beacon first so he could alert the
authorities to his plight.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Locating the kit.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
He opened it and found the compass, but there was
no emergency location device in the bag. Matt grabbed some
thermles and some cotton cloth from his back, applied pressure
to the open wound, and wrapped it to hold the
bandaging in place. Within about ten minutes, the heavy bleeding
had ceased and the wound was only weeping. The little
dog had made its way to the bottom of the
cliff and was keeping his distance from the fractured rock.
(27:57):
Matt's surmised the little dog felt something was am and
wanted to keep a safe distance in case of another
rock slide. Each night they had been in the back
country there had been a frost. Knowing this was going
to be an issue, Matt had to plan on finding
a place that was safe and large enough to set
up shelter till they could.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Stay warm and out of the weather.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
He found a flat grassy area that fits the bill
and was able to drag himself down the cliff side
to the very spot. There he was able to set
up a tent and he was right by the creek
where they could have water. Exhausted and having found his
sleeping bag had fallen out, was backing into the creek.
Matt had to build a fire to dry out the
gear and to aid in keeping them warm because night
(28:37):
was coming on fast. He knew the sun going down
and meant freezing temperatures for sure. The sleeping bag didn't
dry out in time till the first night. He used
his extra clothes and little dog for warmth, and was
very thankful to have both. The next day, Matt woke
to the sound of aircraft and was bringing other hunters
into the area and dropping them off using his bright
(28:58):
orange emergency blanket. Desperately tried to get their tension, but
it was no use. They were simply too far away.
Knowing he would probably be spending a few more days
out of these conditions, he had to find a way
to disinfect.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
The wound on his thigh.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Remembering he had salt and is packed for food flavoring.
Matt remembered from his survival classes that salt could be
used as a disinfectant for first aid situations. In a pinch,
he flushed the area out as best he could and
packed it with salt. Cooking has been a challenge anyway,
because he hadn't brought any extra fuel, thinking he would
have plenty of wood in the area he would be
(29:33):
preparing his food. However, he was in the high country
above the tree line, and there wasn't a lot of
items that close that could be collected to cook with.
Matt had to conserve the little fuel he did have,
so he decided to cook every other day and make
it up for a couple of days at a time
for him and little dog. He was also rationing the
food and had cut his food and the dogs to
(29:54):
just a quarter of what they would normally eat. They
had rice, a few packets of dried soup, hydrated vegetables
and energy bars. The bars would be saved for days
when he would try to walk for extra energy. Having
a little dog alone kept Matt going. He was happy
that he was there to keep him company, and they
were cuddling at night to keep warm. Each day he
(30:17):
would clean his wound and repack and rapid to keep
it clean and as dry as possible, and it seemed
to be working at least for now. Another morale booster
was a small radio.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
He kept in his back.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
He could pick up a signal from a station. It
was at least a voice to listen to in the darkness,
Matt recalled during an interview. So far the weather had
been cold, but dry and sunny. Matt knew this wasn't
going to last, however, for he was as infamously known
to have a raging weather, especially in the winter, getting
weather broadcasts in the radio. The bad news finally came
(30:49):
on Tuesday. Thursday, we'ld see a rather cold and snowy
front moved through the area and would last at least
into the following day. Knowing the dangers of being exposed
to that kind of weather, that chose to try and
test what he was capable of with his injuries, if
he could at least stand and find something to use
for a crutch, he may be able to make it
to help. Rising to his feet and using a nearby
(31:12):
boulder to steady himself, he tried to place a little
pressure at a time on the ankle, and he shot
through his body like a jol of electricity, and he
almost passed out. Moving areas wasn't going to happen on
that day. The sky starting to darken late Wednesday, and
the wind was picking up. By Friday, indeed, the rain
was coming in sheets and battering the two of them.
(31:33):
It was also flooding the small creek by their camp.
Matt wasn't in a way that they could move, and
thankfully the creek didn't take over and flood the area.
By Friday night, the storm has subsided.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Him was eggsty. This was the day Matt was due back, and.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Because he left word with friends, he was expecting a
rescue by the next day. However, Saturday came and went
as well as Sunday, Monday. Then finally on Tuesday, Matt
decided he would have to rescue himself with a little
dog's help. Matt spent Wednesday morning, observing the valley below
him off in the distance, about two days hike for
(32:09):
him in his condition. It was a small hunting cabin.
Between him and the cabin was the rest of the
cliff thick bramble that he would have to navigate an
almost vertical hike.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Then he would be at the valley floor.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
He stood and, using his two tent poles he had
taped together as a cane, steadied himself in practiced walking
using the equipment he had made his self rescue. He
could only put weight on his right leg, so he
had to take it extra easy and mentally prepare himself
for the journey ahead, Hoping there would be extra food
at the hunting cabin and maybe even people.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
He knew he had to make this happen.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
He packed up his area, and when a little dog's help,
started the long track down the mountain called Tiger Country
because of the tough scrub brush. In a normal situation,
it would take him days.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
To get through.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Because it was so thick, Matt was hoping it wouldn't
take him that, but k new in his condition he
could possibly take even longer. It took Mat a whole
day to get through the subalpine train of the first area.
He still had to get through the forest and down
the almost vertical mountain. At this point, his leg was
turning black and purple from the bruising and the weight
(33:17):
that's having to be put on it was excruciating no
matter how bad the pain was, though he knew he
had to push through. His wrist wasn't faring much better.
The fingers on that hand kept going numb from the cold.
Matt would have to stop and manually move them around
to keep them at least semi warm. The forest and
vertical parts took about four hours to get through. He
(33:39):
was now about two hundred meters away from the valley floor.
The tree section was the last hard part he had
to get through, or so he thought. He'd have to
take a few steps because one good arm through the
branches and lower himself down the steeper parts. Finally, at
the valley floor, Matt could see the hunting cabin. His
relief was immediately replaced by disappoint However, rains from the
(34:02):
week before it caused a small stream to swell into
a raging river. Water was rushing over bowlers and it
looked like Matt might be stuck on the opposite side
of this river from the cabin. Giving one last push
to make his way to shoulder and safety, Matt and
little Dog walked down the stream looking for a safe
place to cross. About twenty yards ahead was the one
(34:23):
area that looked like they might be able to cross,
but just downstream there was a two meter waterfall, and
not wanting to be thrown from another cliff, Matt knew
he couldn't cross here. He hobbled another three miles up river,
again looking for a perfect spot to cross. His legs
were bruised and battered, his knees had taken a beating
from Matt having to walk on them so unnaturally, they
(34:46):
were starting to get very weak. Still, with all the
strengthen and must he pushed on, he found a place
that looked like it might be the best place to cross,
which It was also ice in this part of the water,
and that made it even colder as soon as he
entered the water. The chill caused his muscles to tents,
which drove the pain to an almost unbearable level. The
(35:06):
little dog was hesitating on the bank, running back and forth,
not wanting to jump in. When Matt was about halfway
across the river, a little dog jumped in, swam over,
and climbed right onto Matt's back as if hitching a ride.
We had a few words, as you can imagine, Matt said,
but Matt was glad he made.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
The decision to come along.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
As soon as they got to the bank, Matt found
that he could no longer stand the diicon. Water had
numbed the pain, but also caused his legs to seize up.
The little dog took off and immediately started barking and
running around, as if to attract attention to them. It
took Mad about half an hour to get warmed up
enough to get moving again, all the while the little
dog was still barking and running around. The hunter's cabin
(35:49):
was another two miles back down the stream. The little
dog ran ahead. Matt could see bootprints in the mud
and thought that must mean there are people at the cabin.
This gave him renew to hope that they would find help,
and sure enough, as he rounded the last corner right
before the cabin, there was a hunter patting little dog
and carrying a water bucket. There were two hunters there.
(36:11):
They had finally reached safety and rescue. The hunter thought
Matt had simply sprayed his ankle, but as he made
his way closer to the man, he could see that
Matt was much worse off than.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
He had initially thought.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
He rushed over and offered to carry Matt, but Matt
walked all that way on his own, and, in his words, said,
I wasn't about to let anyone carry me the last
hundred meters. Sheer determination had driven Matt to find help
for a little dog and himself.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Matt even let a little dog eat first and then
he ate.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
It took one of the hunters another full day to
walk out of the area and to get help from
Matt and little Dog.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Matt was flown to the hospital.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Doctors determined that the wrist was blown out and would
never heal properly, and the ankle was almost as bad.
They took grafts from other areas of the body to
help mass prognosis for full recovery, though to this day
he and little dog still hiked the mountains. The whole
incident gave me perspective, Matt says, it made me realize
(37:08):
what was important in life and what was and it
really gave me the drive to control and Ashley choose
the direction my life was going to take, and not
merely go just wherever life took me.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
It never occurred to me that I wasn't going to
get through this.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
I had that determination always to take the next step
and do what was required to get myself out of
there and through it all. Little dog was right there
with him. Not all angels have wings, some of them
have fur. Well, folks, there you have it. What do
you think of these amazing stories of survival where people
and their best friend and companion made it through against
(37:45):
all odds. I look forward to your comments, but please
keep it friendly and respectable. In the meantime, be good
to yourselves and each other, and if you have an animal,
give them a hug. And my dog Mulder and I
will see you a little further on down the tree rail.
I'm Steve Stockton, and I'll talk to you next time.
Hello, friends, Welcome to a special episode called My Dog
Saved Me And a lot of these cases we cover.
People that get lost hiking often have their dogs with them.
Sometimes neither person nor the dog has ever seen again.
There are other times that the person who's never found
but the dog returns. If only dogs could talk in
(00:30):
these cases, however, today that's something a little different. These
are cases where people miraculously made it after being lost
in the woods, but they contend that they were saved
by their dog. So cut up with human's best friend
or your fur baby, Sit back, relax and have a listen.
(00:51):
First up has a Great Bear Wilderness rescue Badline Calmly.
The twenty three year old Illinoy woman Madline Connolly went
missing with her dog Mogi in the Great Bear Wilderness
area in Montana on May fourth, twenty seventeen. Connelly was
only supposed to be gone on an overnight camping trip,
(01:12):
but didn't return. The search and rescue mission was launched
on the sixth of May. Realizing she wasn't in the
right place. On the first night, she became lost and
wandered farther into the wilderness and away from her vehicle,
thinking if she just stayed on the trail she was
on she would eventually make it back to her car.
She walked for hours and ended up at a lake.
(01:34):
Knowing that she was far from where she should be,
she stopped there for a while, even though she had
no shelter, was lightly dressed totally had to seek shelter
under the trees at night and share body heat with
her dog.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Not realizing the.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Media attention the case was getting the last day, she
thought she would make it back to her car, bill
for a coke, and return to her uncle's house. In fact,
several search and rescue teams had already been gun looking
for the woman. She was found safe on Mother's Day
a search and rescue team to bear air rescue and
was lifted to safety. Coally was visiting family in Montana
(02:12):
on her way to a job at a baker in Alaska.
The dog, Mogi, was also found alive and they were
reunited the next day after Colley was released from the hospital.
Finally claims that without the dog to keep her warm,
she probably would have perished. Next, we have Lost in Canada,
The story of a net poatress. Fifty six year old
(02:35):
British Columbian dog walker Anette Poatress went missing after falling
on a hike and knocking herself unconscious. Patress left her
house with Bubba, Roxy and Chloe, who were a little
walk in the woods when she slipped and fell, hitting
her head in the fall. She also lost her phone
in gloves. She doesn't remember how long she was out for,
(02:56):
but when she came back around she had to go
find one of the three dogs that had worn off
while she was knocked out. After finding the dog, she
tried following the BC Hydro power lines, but was too weak.
Her second night being lost, over one hundred search and
rescue personnel were raised and people were out looking for
her and the dogs. Her third day of the elements
(03:19):
was her last. Rescuers heard one of the dogs barking
and was able to find Potrust and her forry friends,
all alive and well. She spent a week in the
hospital due to exposure from the elements, and in an
interview she said she didn't think she would have survived
one more night in the elements. Annette Poatrust was able
to turn her ordeal into a novel. Author Anne Brewin
(03:40):
spent an entire week with her family while writing the
novel based on the recollection of Petrust about the three
days she spent missing in the BC Wilderness. The name
of the book is Three Dog Nights and covers both
the missing woman's perspective as well as that of her family.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I would have probably died without the dogs.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
Poatrust said. They kept me going and they kept me warm.
I don't know how I survived the Utah Wilderness. Danielle Ballanjing.
Deciding to get into better shape for several winter triathlons
and a snowshoe racing season event, World champion adventure athlete
(04:20):
Danielle Balange sent out to the Utah Wilderness to get
in some exercise with her companion Task. She hadn't been
to this loop in a while, and Tass, her dog,
was excited to.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Go for a run.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
Danielle is known for her amazing endurance and strength. While
telling her story, she reminisces about today she adopted the dog.
I got him from a puppy rescue. This one puppy
sort of stood out. Danielle said. He was energetic and
he liked to run around. He was hyper. He had
this playful attitude about him. I sort of connected with that.
(04:53):
I remember some other lady went over to Task and
was holding him, and I looked at this lady and
said to myself, that's my dog. He wasn't dog yet,
but I just knew he was the one. So I
kept an eye on this lady she was playing with Taz.
As soon as she set him down, I snatched him
up and said, I want this one. There's just something
that drew me to Task that I knew he was
the one for me. December thirteenth, two thousand and six,
(05:16):
Danielle had returned a few emails, grabbed a bottle of water,
got Taz, and headed for her truck. She just headed
out to one of her favorite spots in the Utah
Candian to do a routine run, and later that day
he planned on doing some kayaking. Despite the beauty of
this area, few people transverse it due to the desolate location.
It was a clear, sunny winter day, with the temperatures
(05:38):
in the desert that time of a year often in
the thirties during the daytime and drop into the single
digits at night. Her day was planned full of adventures,
with a hike at a kayaking run. When she reached
the trail she wanted to hide. Danielle observed that she
was not the only person in the area. Heading out
on the trail. She was about to face one of
the hardest challenges she had ever endured, and it would
(06:00):
change her life forever. The area surrounding moab Utah is
popular for sight seeing, hiking, mountain biking.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Walks, and other outdoor activities.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
The beauty of the canyon land is alluring, but this
area has a dangerous site and can be very unforgiving
to anyone that dare become complacent to those dangers. The
terrain can change within feet and takes lives very quickly.
Just in December two thousand and six alone, two men
have been fatally injured in the same area Danielle was
hiking in. Specifically, trained search and rescue teams are often
(06:33):
dispatched to eight hikers, mountain climbers, and other adventures when
they meet with the worst this place of beauty has
to offer.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
At this point in her.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Life, Danielle had one Athlete of the Year six times
and was in peak piscopal condition. Used to pushing herself
to her limits and sometimes beyond. Shobson faced this area
with no fear, as she had been here many times
into the terrain well. Having stretched properly and drank some
water to hydrate herself, Danielle headed out on an uncharted
(07:02):
trail that led miles into the vast expanse of the
desert Pass. Was running ahead of her tried to keep
up with him. Danielle picked up her pace a few
more steps at the faster pace, and suddenly Danielle lost
her footing when she stepped on a loose piece of
shell rock and started to.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Slide down an embankment.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Unable to stop herself, she slid all the way down
to the edge of the bank and hit a twenty
foot drop in free fall. I had just enough time
to see my life kind of spin in my head
and think this is it. This is how I'm going
to meet my inn. She landed hard on her feet
and then on her side, immediately shatting her pelvis and
causing internal bleeding. However, Danielle didn't know just how seriously
(07:41):
she was injured. The place she landed was a shelf
that jutted out over a sand wash that was winding.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Its way through the canyon.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
She was perched another fifteen feet above the bottom of
the canyon, but She came to her senses after the
fall and realized she thankfully wasn't dead. She immediately went
into survival mode started to take stock of her injuries,
trying to figure out where she was hurt. Danielle could
feel her legs, so she knew she wasn't paralyzed, but
she couldn't move them. The rest of her body seemed
(08:10):
to be okay. Her next task was to figure out
how to get out of the canyon and back to
her truck, as she knew she needed a hospital right away.
Despite her pelvis being shattered and the pain that was
starting to grip her, Danielle tried to stand up and
walk out of the canyon, but because the pelvist attaches
the top half of the body to the lower half,
her legs simply couldn't support her weight as she immediately
(08:32):
fell back to the ground. With adrenaline now surging through
her body, she was able to roll onto her stomach
and started crawling.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Her way out of the canyon.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Knowing she was trapped on a ledge, all Danielle could
do was try to go back the way she came
a few moments after she started crawling, Taz made his
way onto the ledge. This was the motivation she needed
to keep going. Danielle was scared that she was trapped
on the sandstone shelf where she'd landed, but if Taz
had found a way down to her, and there had
(09:01):
to be a way off, Danielle was able to find
her way off the cliff and down to the bottom
of a canyon, where she had to stop and rest.
She rolled over on her back and rested up against
the rock. She had managed to keep her water bottle
in her pocket even after she had fallen, so she
drank the last of this water while contemplating her next move.
(09:22):
She knew that the adrenaline was keeping her going and
keeping the paint in chake for now, but it was
starting to wear off. Each movement she made now was
excruciating and took much more effort than before. Danielle was
well aware that the desert had already claimed two lives
just that month, and it was now getting dark, which
would drop the temperatures outside to below freezing, so she
(09:44):
had to do everything she could to not become its
next victim. Drawing on her athletic training, she used crutches
to keep herself awake and keep warm. She was only
able to move her up her body from her shoulders
to her arms, and continued doing crunches at a pace
of one every five seconds all night. As the temperature
dropped into the low twenties, Taz comed up next to
(10:05):
her and they shared body heat, which also helped her
stay warm. As the sun came up the next morning,
dan Yell realized she was out of water completely, and
the adrenaline that had helped her so much the day
prior was now totally gone, and she was in severe pain,
barely able to move, she knew she needed to find
water right away. Holding her breath, she rolled over onto
(10:28):
her stomach and the pain shot through her like a
red hot poker. Thankfully, there was a small puddle of
rainwater nearby the place she had been resting. She and
Taz were able to take a few steps to keep
them going for the time being. Settling in near this
pitiful water source, the realization was starting to hit about
her perilous situation. She knew no one was looking for
(10:49):
because she hadn't told anyone her plans for the day before.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Not Able to drag.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Herself any further, and the water supply she had found
was dwindling, Danielle had to figure out what would kill
her first, dehydration or freezing. The water was full of
sand and silt, and knowing water that was unfiltered could
harbor harmful bacteria, she decided to conserve the water, but
yet stay as close to it.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
As she could.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
It didn't taste good, but it was all they had
and enough to keep them going for now. This small
victory of finding the water gave her some much needed
encouragement to keep trying to help herself. Drinking water also
posed another problem. If she had to urinate, it could
aid the hypothermia that had already started from not being
able to move her legs and feet, and by this
(11:34):
time it had already been well over twenty four hours
since she had gone By midday on day two, Danielle
could tell something else was happening internally that wasn't good.
She could feel an area in her abdomen that was
really soft, swollen, and tender. Danielle didn't know it at
the time, but she was bleeding internally. As she prepared
(11:55):
to spend a second night in the cold desert, Danielle
was finding it harder to keep in her right mind.
She had started hallucinating from fatigue and blood loss. The
hallucinations caused her to see bright lights in the sky
and hear conversations that weren't happening. Also, the exercising that
was keeping her from developing hypothermia was now almost impossible
(12:15):
to do from the pain as laid by himself the
second night, and the exercising that was keeping her warm
was now almost impossible. That night seemed to drag on,
and everything she saw she had to question if it
was real or if she was hallucinating again. The stars
looked like bright spirals hurtling towards the earth in her
(12:35):
ray of colors. Hypothermia, dehydration, internal bleeding, and cessation of
bodily functions were taking a toll on the extreme athlete,
and she was losing her battle to survive. Day three
brought even more pain. Danielle could barely move and had
been awake for almost three days. She didn't know it
(12:56):
at the time, but she had lost almost half of
her blood supply to internal She was horribly dehydrated, had frostbite,
was suffering from hypothermia, had a shattered pelvis, and was
bleeding to death inside. Determined to get out on this day,
She prepared herself to try for another self rescue. Biting
(13:16):
back to pain, she slowly turned from her back onto
her stomach as a scream escaped her mouth. Back in Moab,
several phone calls had been made to the police from
Danielle's family and friends. The local detective knew Danielle because
she was a well known athlete, and he knew where
she trained in the desert. He was going out that
way and told the other deputies he would check the
area and let them know what, if anything. He discovered
(13:40):
Danielle only having made it a few inches before becoming
stuck in a sandy rud. She could make it no further.
She was starting to lose her vision and was too
weak to make any advance. She was able to make
it back to her drooling water supply as she gave
in to defeat. As she lay crying awaiting death, Taz
made his way over to her and licked her tears
(14:01):
accompany her. The detectives made his way out to the canyon,
and as he came around a corner, he saw Danielle's truck,
which she was nowhere in sight. He radioed his findings
back to Moab, and a search and rescue mission was started.
Within the hour, the Grand County Search and Rescue Team
of Utah and the rest of volunteers made their way
out to the canyon and geared up for a rescue
(14:21):
or possible recovery event. John Marshall, the lead search team member,
would take charge of the mission. The team was briefed
as they selected their other team members for certain areas
so they could use the equipment brought to aid. New
I was pretty close to dying at that point. I'd
given up hope. Danielle recounts on the start of day
three in the desert, I was scared no one was
(14:42):
looking for me, or they wouldn't find me. After an
amazing fifty one hours of not urinating because she knew
that would cause hypothermia to take hold of her even
faster because the way flowing her broken pelvis prevent her
from being able to take her pants down, so she
would have to go where she was laying. I knew
I was dying. I started thinking about my life, my family,
(15:05):
my friends, and who would care for Taz. I thought
about how much they all meant to me. I really
thought I was going to die. I was dying in desperation,
Danielle began talking to Taz, I need help Tas. Danielle
was crying now. Taz laid with his head on her chest,
comforting her. Tas was her only chance now and she
(15:28):
needed him to understand her plight. Aaz stood up and
turned his hand as if to understand what Danielle was
saying to him. He turned his head from side to side,
taking in each word. He started to leave and run
towards the way they had come in, but just before
rounding the corner from Danielle and losing sight of her,
he slowly turned and looked at her.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Go.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
Danielle shouted to Task, but that Tas was gone and
Danielle was all alone, insured, cold, hungry, and unable to move,
literally on the verge of death. She wondered if she
ever see Taz again, or anyone for that matter. It
was a hard decision to send Taz away, but he
was all she had to maybe get help to her.
(16:09):
Maybe there would be other hikers that would see him
and read his tags, report it and they would figure
out where she was. She didn't want to be alone,
but sending him was the only option she had left.
John Marshall made it to the area where Danielle's truck
was parked. After briefing on who they were looking for
and where they were supposed to look, the teams started
(16:30):
out into the canyon. Utah backcountry in the southeast area
doesn't play any favorites. It's a beautiful, odd inspiring landscape,
but it can also be deadly. Aftain Marshall and another
team member were on a Mazon looking around the area
of binoculars when Marshall swatted a dog. There's a dog
down there, he said to the team member has had
(16:51):
found his way out of the canyon and it was
headed straight to the rescuers. They knew Danielle had a dog,
but bearing the dog was there because Danielle was no
longer alive. This made their heart strop. As Taz reached
others in the search party, he didn't stop. His energy
was high and he kept running around as if trying
to get their attention. Bego Gerhart was an experienced tracker
(17:12):
and took notice of task peculiar behavior. They noticed he
wasn't interested in food and water they had provided for him.
He just kept running around the trackers trying to get
their attention. Not knowing where to start looking and knowing
the area was over a thousand square miles, they pinned
down a search area and sent Gearhart on an ATV
through the canyon while others went to the rim area.
(17:33):
By the time they had started the search, evening was
fast approaching. Garhart was the first to leave the rendezvous area,
and Task followed him. As he searched, he noticed tracks
that looked a couple of days old. He decided to
follow the tracks. Before he could start the trail, Taz
took off in front of him. Gar Heart knew Task
was taking him where they needed to go. A massive
(17:53):
snowstorm was moving into the area and was forecasted to
start that night. They knew they could only search for
a few hours that evening, only willing to follow Task
for a few more minutes. Gearhart was having to go
slow because of the terrain. Task came running around the
corner and Danielle was in the same place.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
When he left.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
She noticed that his demeanor had changed. He was high
energy and ran straight for the small puddle that was
the only water supply and drank heavily, his tail wagging.
He went to Danielle and barked. Danielle, knowing that the
water was their only lifeline now, was too weak to
tell Taz no. I just watched as he drank and
then bark. She didn't know Tas was bringing help, but
(18:34):
just a short moment later she heard the ATV help.
She shouted, I need help. It was the best moment
of my life. She'd been found. That's one good dog
you have there, Gerhart said to Danielle, Taz was a hero.
Danielle was there lifted to a hospital where she underwent
emergency surgery. She had seven broken blood vessels in her
(18:57):
pelvic area that had leaked three pints into her abdomen,
a broken pelvis, hypothermia, and frostbite. Medical professionals beard she
would never walk again. Despite her ordeal, Danielle endured six
hours of surgery, months of rehab, and quickly regained her
ability to walk. She's now married, has a baby, and
(19:21):
Taz is right by her side. Miracle on the White
Mountains Cheryl Powell July eleventh, twenty nineteen. Sixty year old
Cheryl Powell was waiting for her husband on a hillsite
as he turned their jeep around at a remote campsite
near the California and about a border when she suddenly
went missing along with the couple's dog. Her husband had
(19:43):
taken a little more than about seven minutes to move
the vehicle, and when he returned to the campsite, Cheryl
was nowhere to be seen.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
He looked for her for.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
About half an hour before contact to the authorities to
help him search. The couple chose her boat side at
the Grandview Campsite near Bishop, California. P experienced hiker hike
to her husband twenty four miles per week and was
a strong woman. Search teams fought through rough terrain, gullies,
shale slopes, little shade, and extreme heat search for the
(20:11):
missing woman. Files's husband thought she had been abducted and
made a tearful plea for the safe return of his wife.
For forty two years, not many details of Pal's four
day ordeal had been released, but when she was found,
it was reported that she was alive, strong and resilient,
but exhausted after having been missing for four days. She
(20:31):
would later state that a man with a knife chased
her off betrayal and into the woods while her husband
was away. Searchers first found the couple's dog and soon Cheryl.
She was located near Montenegro Springs area on Monday, July fifteenth,
twenty nineteen, and area described as extremely remote. She was
taken to a local hospital, where she was reunited with
(20:53):
her family. She was happy to be alive and her
family was related to see her. The dog was in
great condition and was reunited with the family later the
same day. Cheryl would later say, describing the ordeal, all
of a sudden, some guy pops out from behind a
tree or something. Describing the incident that led her disappearance,
it was scary. I was really nervous about the fact
(21:15):
things threatening to do my dog harm. In an interview
with NBC, Cheryl described the man as a big guy,
hurtly bald headed with tan skin. She said his initial
approach scared enough to act pretty docile and let him.
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Think I was going to go along with him.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
She also told NBC she bolted as soon as she
had the chance, although she does state that she never
saw him again. After the first day, Definitey's interviewed people
to campground and used the loudspeaker to call out for
Powell and her dog Miley. Search and rescue personnel also
come to the area using people on foot, dogs and helicopters.
Late Monday morning, searchers reported finding Miley the dog about
(21:55):
two and a half miles from the campground. A short
while later, they found Sherry Powell alt I've been exhausted.
It was Miley's barking that alerted the search and rescue
personnel their presence. They found her some two hundred yards away.
Cheryl's son Greg reported on Facebook. My mom is an
amazing human being and she looks pretty good given the situation.
(22:15):
Her first words to us were I'm so sorry I'll
put you through that. You guys must have been so worried,
just proving how selfless she is. Dan Yoke County Sheriff's
Office also reported that searchers were happy to have found Cheryl.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Powell and Miley alive.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
We're grateful that miss Powell and her dog were found
alive and well, the department reported on Facebook. Our office
is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. We have
no further information at this time. Next up, we have
Little Girl Lost, the story of Victoria bench Bomb and
(22:52):
daughter had just returned from her walk when three year
old Victoria bench wanted to.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Play on the porch eating to make lunch.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
He mother just decided to let her play and felt
comfortable leaving her on the porch of the family dog
only inside for a few moments. Upon her return, Victoria
was nowhere to be seen and the dog was missing too.
The family searched on them for about an hour before
contacting the police. By the time the police got to
the area, they only had about thirty minutes of daylight
(23:19):
left the search. Search area was rugged and it had
lost the foliage. The police also decided to search other
homes in the area for offenders of minor children, but
nothing was found.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
The next morning, the.
Speaker 1 (23:32):
Police were able to get a helicopter of the air
and shortly after spotted the little girl laying under a bush.
She was half a mile away from her home and
her companion, Blew the dog was right.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
By her side.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Victoria was wearing only tennis shoes, a short sleeved shirt,
and light pants. It's surmised that the dog stayed with
her and kept her warm through the night. Otherwise, it's
not believed that she could have survived temperatures that were
in the low thirties. Victoria was transported to an area
hospital a precaution for a checkup, and was reunited with
her family later that day, right along with her loyal
(24:05):
friend and faithful companion Blue. And finally, we have Into
the Alps, the story of Matt Briggs and his dog.
Having planned a week long hiking trip into the Alps
of New Zealand, thirty three year old Matt Briggs, an
avid outdoors enthusiast and hunter, and his companion, little Dog
head off into the wilderness of arguably the most beautiful
(24:27):
landscape the area had to offer. Having been hiking for
four days already of a planned ten day trip, Matt
and his loyal companion were having a wonderful time, but
were having to take caution because the mountains in some
areas are nearly vertical, which makes for a difficult hike.
As one would imagine resting on a ridge at above
six thousand feet sea level, Matt was taking extra care
(24:49):
when placing his footing as a fall could mean certain death.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Ready to start descending.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
And head to the valley floor for the day, Matt
had just reached a corner on the cliff he was
standing on was about to start looking for the best
way down, when suddenly the rock he was standing on
came loose and broke off from the cliff. The whole
slab of the cliff broke off and took Matt with
it in a free fall down a mountain slope. There
wasn't much mac could do except trying to keep himself
(25:15):
as steady as possible and stay on the slab. Losing
his balance and falling in front of it, he would
be crushed to death. Realizing there was a bluff coming
up and that he was going to free fall, he
tried to stay just as steady as possible as he
fell over the edge over thirty feet. He landed on
his back, surrounded by jagged rocks and another sheer cliff base.
(25:36):
Surprised that he was still alive and that his back
wasn't broken, Matt tried to stand up and take stock
of his injuries. As he stood and put weight on
his arm, his wrist gave way, with what was once
fractured to now being fully broken. Using his left hand
to balance himself and get to his feet, he quickly
checked the rest.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Of his body.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Putting weight on his right leg seemed to find but
the left ankle was miserably broken, Matt had left ward
with colleagues at his trip would last for seven to
ten days, so he realized no one to be looking
for him for at least another week. Also right by
the area Matt had landed was a small creek. Looking
at the color of the water, he saw that the
creek had started to turn bright red. Quickly checking himself
(26:18):
once more for lacerations, he noticed he had a very
deep cut on the back of his left thigh. He
couldn't see the cut, but he could feel it.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
With his hand.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
A huge amount of the red life e lecture was
pouring from the cut. Matt, trying to determine how deep
the cut was, used his fingers to measure and found
it to be two knuckles deep two finger lengthd.
Speaker 2 (26:39):
One half inch wide gash.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Matt knew that if he had hit a major artery,
he could quickly pass out and not wake up. He
needed to have this attended to. Bud Fast the dog
had now found his way to Matt and was ever
glad to see him. He pulled a little dog close
and checked him for injuries. Luckily, the dog didn't have
any visible injuries and there was no blood visible either. Naturally,
(27:01):
the dog seemed shaken and nervous, but no worse for
the wear. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for his master,
that was in bad shape indeed, but luckily he had
remembered to bring his GPS emergency locator beacon, a small
first aid kid, food rations for both he and little dog,
an emergency blanket, and seasonings for his food.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
This fact will be important later.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
Digging the supplies out of his pack that thankfully had
lost dur in the fall, he wanted to get to
the GPS locator beacon first so he could alert the
authorities to his plight.
Speaker 2 (27:34):
Locating the kit.
Speaker 1 (27:35):
He opened it and found the compass, but there was
no emergency location device in the bag. Matt grabbed some
thermles and some cotton cloth from his back, applied pressure
to the open wound, and wrapped it to hold the
bandaging in place. Within about ten minutes, the heavy bleeding
had ceased and the wound was only weeping. The little
dog had made its way to the bottom of the
cliff and was keeping his distance from the fractured rock.
(27:57):
Matt's surmised the little dog felt something was am and
wanted to keep a safe distance in case of another
rock slide. Each night they had been in the back
country there had been a frost. Knowing this was going
to be an issue, Matt had to plan on finding
a place that was safe and large enough to set
up shelter till they could.
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Stay warm and out of the weather.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
He found a flat grassy area that fits the bill
and was able to drag himself down the cliff side
to the very spot. There he was able to set
up a tent and he was right by the creek
where they could have water. Exhausted and having found his
sleeping bag had fallen out, was backing into the creek.
Matt had to build a fire to dry out the
gear and to aid in keeping them warm because night
(28:37):
was coming on fast. He knew the sun going down
and meant freezing temperatures for sure. The sleeping bag didn't
dry out in time till the first night. He used
his extra clothes and little dog for warmth, and was
very thankful to have both. The next day, Matt woke
to the sound of aircraft and was bringing other hunters
into the area and dropping them off using his bright
(28:58):
orange emergency blanket. Desperately tried to get their tension, but
it was no use. They were simply too far away.
Knowing he would probably be spending a few more days
out of these conditions, he had to find a way
to disinfect.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
The wound on his thigh.
Speaker 1 (29:12):
Remembering he had salt and is packed for food flavoring.
Matt remembered from his survival classes that salt could be
used as a disinfectant for first aid situations. In a pinch,
he flushed the area out as best he could and
packed it with salt. Cooking has been a challenge anyway,
because he hadn't brought any extra fuel, thinking he would
have plenty of wood in the area he would be
(29:33):
preparing his food. However, he was in the high country
above the tree line, and there wasn't a lot of
items that close that could be collected to cook with.
Matt had to conserve the little fuel he did have,
so he decided to cook every other day and make
it up for a couple of days at a time
for him and little dog. He was also rationing the
food and had cut his food and the dogs to
(29:54):
just a quarter of what they would normally eat. They
had rice, a few packets of dried soup, hydrated vegetables
and energy bars. The bars would be saved for days
when he would try to walk for extra energy. Having
a little dog alone kept Matt going. He was happy
that he was there to keep him company, and they
were cuddling at night to keep warm. Each day he
(30:17):
would clean his wound and repack and rapid to keep
it clean and as dry as possible, and it seemed
to be working at least for now. Another morale booster
was a small radio.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
He kept in his back.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
He could pick up a signal from a station. It
was at least a voice to listen to in the darkness,
Matt recalled during an interview. So far the weather had
been cold, but dry and sunny. Matt knew this wasn't
going to last, however, for he was as infamously known
to have a raging weather, especially in the winter, getting
weather broadcasts in the radio. The bad news finally came
(30:49):
on Tuesday. Thursday, we'ld see a rather cold and snowy
front moved through the area and would last at least
into the following day. Knowing the dangers of being exposed
to that kind of weather, that chose to try and
test what he was capable of with his injuries, if
he could at least stand and find something to use
for a crutch, he may be able to make it
to help. Rising to his feet and using a nearby
(31:12):
boulder to steady himself, he tried to place a little
pressure at a time on the ankle, and he shot
through his body like a jol of electricity, and he
almost passed out. Moving areas wasn't going to happen on
that day. The sky starting to darken late Wednesday, and
the wind was picking up. By Friday, indeed, the rain
was coming in sheets and battering the two of them.
(31:33):
It was also flooding the small creek by their camp.
Matt wasn't in a way that they could move, and
thankfully the creek didn't take over and flood the area.
By Friday night, the storm has subsided.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Him was eggsty. This was the day Matt was due back, and.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Because he left word with friends, he was expecting a
rescue by the next day. However, Saturday came and went
as well as Sunday, Monday. Then finally on Tuesday, Matt
decided he would have to rescue himself with a little
dog's help. Matt spent Wednesday morning, observing the valley below
him off in the distance, about two days hike for
(32:09):
him in his condition. It was a small hunting cabin.
Between him and the cabin was the rest of the
cliff thick bramble that he would have to navigate an
almost vertical hike.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Then he would be at the valley floor.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
He stood and, using his two tent poles he had
taped together as a cane, steadied himself in practiced walking
using the equipment he had made his self rescue. He
could only put weight on his right leg, so he
had to take it extra easy and mentally prepare himself
for the journey ahead, Hoping there would be extra food
at the hunting cabin and maybe even people.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
He knew he had to make this happen.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
He packed up his area, and when a little dog's help,
started the long track down the mountain called Tiger Country
because of the tough scrub brush. In a normal situation,
it would take him days.
Speaker 2 (32:55):
To get through.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Because it was so thick, Matt was hoping it wouldn't
take him that, but k new in his condition he
could possibly take even longer. It took Mat a whole
day to get through the subalpine train of the first area.
He still had to get through the forest and down
the almost vertical mountain. At this point, his leg was
turning black and purple from the bruising and the weight
(33:17):
that's having to be put on it was excruciating no
matter how bad the pain was, though he knew he
had to push through. His wrist wasn't faring much better.
The fingers on that hand kept going numb from the cold.
Matt would have to stop and manually move them around
to keep them at least semi warm. The forest and
vertical parts took about four hours to get through. He
(33:39):
was now about two hundred meters away from the valley floor.
The tree section was the last hard part he had
to get through, or so he thought. He'd have to
take a few steps because one good arm through the
branches and lower himself down the steeper parts. Finally, at
the valley floor, Matt could see the hunting cabin. His
relief was immediately replaced by disappoint However, rains from the
(34:02):
week before it caused a small stream to swell into
a raging river. Water was rushing over bowlers and it
looked like Matt might be stuck on the opposite side
of this river from the cabin. Giving one last push
to make his way to shoulder and safety, Matt and
little Dog walked down the stream looking for a safe
place to cross. About twenty yards ahead was the one
(34:23):
area that looked like they might be able to cross,
but just downstream there was a two meter waterfall, and
not wanting to be thrown from another cliff, Matt knew
he couldn't cross here. He hobbled another three miles up river,
again looking for a perfect spot to cross. His legs
were bruised and battered, his knees had taken a beating
from Matt having to walk on them so unnaturally, they
(34:46):
were starting to get very weak. Still, with all the
strengthen and must he pushed on, he found a place
that looked like it might be the best place to cross,
which It was also ice in this part of the water,
and that made it even colder as soon as he
entered the water. The chill caused his muscles to tents,
which drove the pain to an almost unbearable level. The
(35:06):
little dog was hesitating on the bank, running back and forth,
not wanting to jump in. When Matt was about halfway
across the river, a little dog jumped in, swam over,
and climbed right onto Matt's back as if hitching a ride.
We had a few words, as you can imagine, Matt said,
but Matt was glad he made.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
The decision to come along.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
As soon as they got to the bank, Matt found
that he could no longer stand the diicon. Water had
numbed the pain, but also caused his legs to seize up.
The little dog took off and immediately started barking and
running around, as if to attract attention to them. It
took Mad about half an hour to get warmed up
enough to get moving again, all the while the little
dog was still barking and running around. The hunter's cabin
(35:49):
was another two miles back down the stream. The little
dog ran ahead. Matt could see bootprints in the mud
and thought that must mean there are people at the cabin.
This gave him renew to hope that they would find help,
and sure enough, as he rounded the last corner right
before the cabin, there was a hunter patting little dog
and carrying a water bucket. There were two hunters there.
(36:11):
They had finally reached safety and rescue. The hunter thought
Matt had simply sprayed his ankle, but as he made
his way closer to the man, he could see that
Matt was much worse off than.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
He had initially thought.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
He rushed over and offered to carry Matt, but Matt
walked all that way on his own, and, in his words, said,
I wasn't about to let anyone carry me the last
hundred meters. Sheer determination had driven Matt to find help
for a little dog and himself.
Speaker 2 (36:36):
Matt even let a little dog eat first and then
he ate.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
It took one of the hunters another full day to
walk out of the area and to get help from
Matt and little Dog.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Matt was flown to the hospital.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Doctors determined that the wrist was blown out and would
never heal properly, and the ankle was almost as bad.
They took grafts from other areas of the body to
help mass prognosis for full recovery, though to this day
he and little dog still hiked the mountains. The whole
incident gave me perspective, Matt says, it made me realize
(37:08):
what was important in life and what was and it
really gave me the drive to control and Ashley choose
the direction my life was going to take, and not
merely go just wherever life took me.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
It never occurred to me that I wasn't going to
get through this.
Speaker 1 (37:23):
I had that determination always to take the next step
and do what was required to get myself out of
there and through it all. Little dog was right there
with him. Not all angels have wings, some of them
have fur. Well, folks, there you have it. What do
you think of these amazing stories of survival where people
and their best friend and companion made it through against
(37:45):
all odds. I look forward to your comments, but please
keep it friendly and respectable. In the meantime, be good
to yourselves and each other, and if you have an animal,
give them a hug. And my dog Mulder and I
will see you a little further on down the tree rail.
I'm Steve Stockton, and I'll talk to you next time.
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