After a woman had been missing for 5 months, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office wasn’t hopeful that she would be found at all. Some began to assume that the 47-year-old had died.

The woman was first reported missing after a U.S Forest Service officer noticed her vehicle had seemingly been abandoned. Her car was sitting in the parking lot by the Dry Canyon Trailhead in Diamond Fork Canyon.

The search party looks for the woman.

Officers set up a search party for the woman.

“We didn’t have immediate reason to believe that she was in danger; we just didn’t know what her status was,” said Sgt. Spencer Cannon with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. “All we had was her car down here in this parking lot, some of her personal items in that car and the campsite up here — all of which had appeared to have been unused for an extended period of time and no evidence that she was still here.”

There was no sign of the woman, however. Officers searched the area several times throughout the winter as well but were unable to locate her.

An accidental discovery was made.

After 5 months, a drone was sent to fly over the area but it ended up crashing. What must have initially felt like a disappointment led to the discovery of a missing woman.

“They sent the drone up, and apparently on one of its first passes, the drone crashed. So they went up looking for the drone that had crashed, and in doing that, they came across another small campsite where there was a tent,” said Sgt. Cannon. “As they’re looking at this, the zipper of the tent unzipped and this woman who we had identified the previous year in November and December of last year sticks her head out.”

The woman is found.

That afternoon Sgt. Cannon called it in that the woman had been found alive.

“We’ve had a missing person all winter, I just found her alive in Diamond Fork, kind of worried about her health condition, lack of food and water,” he said.

The woman had rationed the food she still had left with her but by the time she was found, she was eating grass and moss and drinking water from a stream.

“We fully expected we wouldn’t find anybody related to that alive up here given how long it had been… In situations like that, we often find somebody after they passed away,” said Sgt. Cannon. “We were quite relieved and happy that she was still alive.”

Officers clarify the woman did nothing wrong.

The officers would later state that the woman did nothing illegal, but there were concerns for her safety.

“Our hats off to her as a survivor. Whatever else is going on in her life, her ability to survive in undoubtedly difficult circumstances is remarkable,” said Sgt. Cannon. “We want to be clear that while many people might choose to not live in the circumstances and conditions this woman did, she did nothing against the law. And in the future she might choose to return to the same area.”

A 47 year old woman missing in Diamond Fork Canyon since November 2020 was found alive yesterday. While she was missing to us, @UCSO_SAR officials believe she was there by choice. https://t.co/qXk5m9NUlz pic.twitter.com/zeDryEdAhy

— Utah County Sheriff (@UCSO) May 4, 2021

The woman later consented to be taken to Utah Valley Hospital. She was given a full physical and mental examination.

Learn more about this incredible rescue in the video below.

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Source: Fox 13 News Utah/Utah County Sheriff