[IMG:http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/tucson.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/0/b5/0b5aa829-5adb-55e1-9539-1d34df3de47e/570daa4329f8a.image.jpg]
Ann Rodgers, 72, who lives southwest of the city, became lost in the wilderness March 31 while traveling from Tucson to Phoenix to visit her grandchildren. She was rescued Saturday shortly before 6 p.m. after trackers and a helicopter crew found her when she spelled “HELP” out of sticks and rocks on a canyon floor.
“I am exhausted,” Rodgers said Tuesday from her home west of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. “I have been inundated by telephone calls, and I can’t talk anymore. I have to take a break,” said Rodgers, explaining that she has been contacted by local, state and national media to share her story.
When she was rescued by searchers, she was found in fair condition suffering from exposure. She was able to walk to a helicopter and was taken to a hospital in Payson for treatment, said Detective Johnny Holmes of the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, who also is the county’s search and rescue coordinator.
Rodgers survived by drinking creek water, eating berries and other food found in the forest.
The chances of someone surviving as Rodgers did “are pretty slim,” Holmes said. “You have to take into consideration a person’s health, physical capabilities and their knowledge of the land and survival skills.”
Holmes said Rodgers told rescuers that she had previously taught classes on survival skills.
“During the night the temperatures dropped between 32 and 35 degrees, and for several days it did not get over 55 degrees during the day,” Holmes said.
“On Friday, it rained because of three different storms, and on other days, at least three, it also rained and it was cool temperatures and cloudy.”
Search-and-rescue crews of about 30 members — including Tonto Rim crews, White Mountain Apache rangers and Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crews — scoured the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest for a week.
The woman became lost after she traveled to Phoenix through Mammoth and Globe and mistakenly turned north on Highway 60 heading toward Show Low, said Holmes. She tried to find gas in Cibecue, but ran out and depleted the charge in her hybrid vehicle. She had her dog and cat traveling with her.
She left her car in the middle of an unmaintained forest dirt road. The car was found by a highway crew April 1, but the crew did not report the vehicle because it did not look like there was anything suspicious, said Holmes. The following day, other people encountered Rodgers’ cat near the car.
The passers-by took the cat home to feed it and reported the car to the White Mountain Apache rangers, said Holmes. The rangers called the Gila County sheriff for help, and Holmes stepped in and coordinated the search operation April 3.
During the ordeal, Rodgers and her dog walked more than six miles from the vehicle. She tried to climb several ridge lines in an attempt to establish cell phone reception, which she did March 31 at 3:32 a.m.
Rodgers called a friend and told him she was lost in the forest but did not know where. The friend reportedly tried to file a missing-person report with a law enforcement agency, but Holmes said he does not know what the outcome of that report was.
“The body can do without food, but you need water for nourishment,” said Holmes. “She was hiking along a creek so she had water. She also left a note at the ‘HELP’ sign saying she ran out of food and water but would continue down the creek to find a ranch or civilization,” Holmes said. The note was dated April 2. The help sign was about 3 feet tall and was near a skeleton head of an elk.
Rescue workers made contact with Rodgers’ dog, which was three-quarters of a mile from the car walking toward it on the dirt road, before they met Rodgers, who was about three miles from the car, said Holmes.
“Everybody was glad she was found alive. There was a big sigh of relief,” said Holmes.
He advised travelers: “If you are traveling and your car breaks down, or you are lost, stay with your car on the road. The likelihood of being found is much higher,” said Holmes. “Also, always let people know where you are going and what route you are taking.”
Ann Rodgers, 72, who lives southwest of the city, became lost in the wilderness March 31 while traveling from Tucson to Phoenix to visit her grandchildren. She was rescued Saturday shortly before 6 p.m. after trackers and a helicopter crew found her when she spelled “HELP” out of sticks and rocks on a canyon floor.
“I am exhausted,” Rodgers said Tuesday from her home west of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. “I have been inundated by telephone calls, and I can’t talk anymore. I have to take a break,” said Rodgers, explaining that she has been contacted by local, state and national media to share her story.
When she was rescued by searchers, she was found in fair condition suffering from exposure. She was able to walk to a helicopter and was taken to a hospital in Payson for treatment, said Detective Johnny Holmes of the Gila County Sheriff’s Office, who also is the county’s search and rescue coordinator.
Rodgers survived by drinking creek water, eating berries and other food found in the forest.
The chances of someone surviving as Rodgers did “are pretty slim,” Holmes said. “You have to take into consideration a person’s health, physical capabilities and their knowledge of the land and survival skills.”
Holmes said Rodgers told rescuers that she had previously taught classes on survival skills.
“During the night the temperatures dropped between 32 and 35 degrees, and for several days it did not get over 55 degrees during the day,” Holmes said.
“On Friday, it rained because of three different storms, and on other days, at least three, it also rained and it was cool temperatures and cloudy.”
Search-and-rescue crews of about 30 members — including Tonto Rim crews, White Mountain Apache rangers and Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter crews — scoured the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest for a week.
The woman became lost after she traveled to Phoenix through Mammoth and Globe and mistakenly turned north on Highway 60 heading toward Show Low, said Holmes. She tried to find gas in Cibecue, but ran out and depleted the charge in her hybrid vehicle. She had her dog and cat traveling with her.
She left her car in the middle of an unmaintained forest dirt road. The car was found by a highway crew April 1, but the crew did not report the vehicle because it did not look like there was anything suspicious, said Holmes. The following day, other people encountered Rodgers’ cat near the car.
The passers-by took the cat home to feed it and reported the car to the White Mountain Apache rangers, said Holmes. The rangers called the Gila County sheriff for help, and Holmes stepped in and coordinated the search operation April 3.
During the ordeal, Rodgers and her dog walked more than six miles from the vehicle. She tried to climb several ridge lines in an attempt to establish cell phone reception, which she did March 31 at 3:32 a.m.
Rodgers called a friend and told him she was lost in the forest but did not know where. The friend reportedly tried to file a missing-person report with a law enforcement agency, but Holmes said he does not know what the outcome of that report was.
“The body can do without food, but you need water for nourishment,” said Holmes. “She was hiking along a creek so she had water. She also left a note at the ‘HELP’ sign saying she ran out of food and water but would continue down the creek to find a ranch or civilization,” Holmes said. The note was dated April 2. The help sign was about 3 feet tall and was near a skeleton head of an elk.
Rescue workers made contact with Rodgers’ dog, which was three-quarters of a mile from the car walking toward it on the dirt road, before they met Rodgers, who was about three miles from the car, said Holmes.
“Everybody was glad she was found alive. There was a big sigh of relief,” said Holmes.
He advised travelers: “If you are traveling and your car breaks down, or you are lost, stay with your car on the road. The likelihood of being found is much higher,” said Holmes. “Also, always let people know where you are going and what route you are taking.”
Be wise enough to walk away from the nonsense around you! 
