Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/woman-dog-rescued-bisti-wilderness/

Diane Brown headed out for what she thought was going to be a short hike with her dog, Annie, in Bisti Wilderness but ended up getting lost.

The Bisti Wilderness covers 45,000 acres of badlands in New Mexico with no marked hiking trails. Hikers are told to follow the washes downstream if they become lost and it will take them back to the road.

Brown left her home that morning without a jacket but did remember to bring a survival kit. With Annie by her side, she headed into the park to take in all the beautiful scenery.

“Two o’clock, I started walking back and couldn’t find anything that I recognized,” she told KOB4.

She spent the next few hours following the washes but was unable to find the road. As the sun began to set, she realized she needed to call for help. She used the remaining 4% of her phone battery to text her husband and friends her coordinates and to tell them she was starting a fire.

Before her phone died, she received a text back from her husband that said he called the Sheriff’s Office.

However, it was dark by the time the call came in and the search would have to wait until morning.

Brown had watched several survival shows and thankfully knew what to do to survive a night out in the cold. “I heated rocks up in the fire and put them on the core of my stomach and on my feet and everything like that,” recalled Brown. “I was more scared for the dog because she’s never—you know—she kept looking up at me like, ‘is it okay, Mom?’”

Around 8:30 the next morning the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office aviation team headed out in a helicopter to rescue the lost hiker and her dog. After searching for an hour, they spotted Brown waiving an article of clothing.

Brown was so relieved to see the officer and said, “Thank God you found me. I could not find my way out of here.”

She picked up Annie and boarded the helicopter which took her back to her car. When they landed a medic was on-site and aside from being very cold, Brown and Annie appeared to be fine.

Undersheriff Cory Tanner stated, “We are thankful we were able to locate Ms. Brown and get her to safety after her frigid winter night in the elements.”

In addition to the survival kit and fire, she said staying calm helped her and Annie make it through the night. “I knew, ‘don’t panic, and you got to do this,’ and that’s all you do.”

A local shared some advice to people heading into the unmarked desert wilderness. “Anyone going there please make sure you got your phone with gps tracking turned on. Meaning your track is recorded as you hike. Look for apps that can track your hike. There is almost a 99 percent chance one will be lost without tracking. Want to test your direction and survival skills, do it but make sure you have the tracking on on the background. Glad to hear she is safe.”

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog