Going out and getting yourself lost in the bush ain’t a solid idea, but if you absolutely must cut yourself off from humanity and mobile reception, U.S. woman Amber Vanhecke has got some pretty solid advice for you.
Vanhecke, who was rescued after an ill-fated trip to the Grand Canyon last week, has given an interview to ABC describing how exactly she survived when her GPS sent her down a “ratchet dirt road” in the middle of the night.
After finding herself near the Canyon’s southern extremity in Arizona, Vanhecke admitted to “panicking and crying and sobbing” when she realised she was without reception and fuel, but prior planning helped her out: a 16-to-18-day supply of food and water in her car meant she had provisions to last a lil’ while.
She also made the good call of informing friends and family of her proposed travels via Facebook before embarking on her trip, but she reckons the moment a partial call to 911 cut out “was the first moment I felt true panic.”
Heartbreakingly, a truck passed her on the fourth day, but it didn’t slow down whatsoever. “I chased them as far as I could,” Vanhecke said, but “they didn’t hear me and they didn’t see me.”
Fortunately, she had the foresight to leave notes regarding the direction of her hike back at the car. That meant when a helicopter rescue team located her vehicle, a team on the ground was able to locate her down the road.
Somethin’ else that helped her survive was her apparent “not today, Death” attitude. Vanhecke told ABC she was compelled not to give up ’cause “I had stuff to do.” She was treated for exposure and dehydration, and she’s currently recovering.
