Arizona woman and her dog survive 9 days lost in the wilderness
TUCSON, Ariz. -- A woman lost in an Arizona forest for nine days survived by drinking pond water, eating plants and spelling out "help" on the ground with sticks, authorities said Tuesday.
The sign helped lead rescuers to Ann Rodgers, 72, in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona earlier this month, the state Department of Public Safety said. Rodgers declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press.
She went missing March 31 as she headed to visit her grandkids in Phoenix. Rodgers got lost and her hybrid vehicle ran out of gas and electric power, authorities say. Her car was discovered three days after a search began, but rescue crews struggled to find her.
Authorities came across her dog April 9, and a DPS flight crew spotted a "help" signal made of sticks and rocks on the ground. Rodgers had left the area, but she was found nearby in the White Mountain Apache Reservation after starting a signal fire.
CBS affiliate KOLD reported that an air crew spotted Rodgers' distress signal and found a hand-written note on a rock, indicating Rodgers had run out of food and water and was proceeding down the canyon.
The rescue team discovered a shelter abandoned by Rodgers and found her a little further down the canyon.
She was rescued in fair condition and has been released from the hospital.
Rodgers has Tucson-region area code, but it's not clear where she lives or how she wound up in the eastern part of the state.
The drive from Tucson to Phoenix is a straight shot on Interstate 10, which doesn't run through the area where she was found.