A 38-year-old woman and her pet dog were rescued from a flash flood in Utah’s Mary Jane Canyon, thanks to the emergency satellite SOS feature on her iPhone.
Business Insider reports that the woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was hiking with her dog in Mary Jane Canyon, a popular destination located about 10 miles east of Arches National Park. The day took a terrifying turn when she heard the sound of rushing water, signaling an incoming flash flood. Despite her best efforts to reach higher ground, both she and her dog were swept away by the surging waters.
According to GCSAR, “She reached a sand bank above the creek with her dog, but the rising water eroded the sand, sending both her and the dog into the flood waters. She lost her shoes in the flood.” The woman and her dog were reportedly carried “100-200 feet” by the flood waters before they could regain their footing.
Tim Cook prays for good fortune ( Stephanie Keith /Getty)
During the incident, the woman activated the emergency satellite SOS feature on her iPhone. “She then used the emergency satellite SOS feature on her iPhone to send a message for help,” said the Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit (GCSAR). This feature, available on some iPhone models, allows users to contact emergency services even in areas without cell reception by connecting to satellites.
However, the woman received a notification on her phone stating, “Emergency Services: Message Send Failure.” Believing her call for help had failed, she began to hike down the canyon barefoot with her dog, unaware that her SOS message had actually been received by the Grand County Sheriff’s dispatch. According to GCSAR, “The standard text message with the service simply stated that the person with the device needed assistance. It contained geographic coordinates, but no information about the nature of the emergency.”
Approximately eight minutes after the woman received the failure message, the Grand County Sheriff’s dispatch initiated a search and rescue operation. Although the woman was not at the original GPS coordinates when rescuers arrived, a helicopter eventually located her and her dog about two miles downstream. Rescuers found the woman “covered in mud from head to toe.” A member of the rescue team lent the woman his shoes so that they could safely travel the 1.5 miles back to the trailhead.
The GCSAR post includes an important safety tip for hikers: “Please research your planned route thoroughly. Know the specific type of terrain you will encounter. Check local weather forecasts on the day of your trip. Thunderstorms build quickly and can flood canyons from many miles away.”
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship. Follow him on Twitter @LucasNolan