(KTNV) — A 31-year-old woman from Canada was rescued from a "steep, unstable ridge" in Death Valley National Park after separating from a tour group.
Park rangers found the woman north of Artists Palette the morning after she disappeared, Death Valley officials stated in a news release.
The woman was part of a tour group from Las Vegas that stopped at Artists Palette on May 9. They were given 20 minutes to return to the tour van, but the woman didn't come back with the rest of the group. When she didn't return, the tour guide drove to Furnace Creek to report her missing, officials noted.
"The woman had tipped her tour guide at the start of the tour, which led rangers to believe she had planned to leave the tour before its conclusion," park officials stated. "She had told other people on the tour group that she was coming to Death Valley for 'spiritual reasons.'"
Park rangers were initially unable to find the woman during a quick search of the Artists Palette area on May 9, officials said. They came back the next morning, when the woman was spotted on the ridge.
"Park rangers were able to communicate with her but could not find a safe route to reach her," officials stated in the release.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter was used to hoist the woman from the ridge as part of a joint search and rescue mission.
"The woman later told park rangers she had intended to climb up the slope, wander into the desert and not return," officials stated. "She appeared to be experiencing an emotional crisis."
Resources are available for those who find themselves in a similar situation. You can dial 988 for free and confidential support from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is toll-free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
