An American woman has been found alive in a remote canyon six months after she was reported missing. According to reports, she was living in a small tent and survived by eating grass and moss and drinking river water.
The alarm was raised in November for the unnamed 47-year-old from Utah when her car was found abandoned in a trailhead parking area while the US Forest Service prepared to close Diamond Fork Canyon, near Spanish Fork, for the winter.
Searches in the following weeks by police and search and rescue officials of the area, south-east of Salt Lake City, didn't locate the woman.
Then, out of the blue, this weekend, another search finally discovered her whereabouts.
Chance discovery of missing Utah woman
According to a report by Utah County Sheriff's Office, during an aerial search, a drone crashed. It was while trying to find the device that the drone pilot came across a tent, at the remote campsite, in which the woman had been living.
It's believed she chose to remain in the canyon and while she had a small amount of food with her, she told SAR officials she had foraged for vegetation to subsist.
Despite what would have been a tough existence during the winter months, the woman had no physical injuries besides being weak and underweight. An investigation into her disappearance suggests she may have struggled with mental health issues.
The woman, whose identity has been withheld, had not broken the law and she is free to return to the same area if she chooses. However, the sheriff's statement said that resources have been made available to her should she decide to use them.
