Woman Found Near Arizona Desert River Bed 6 Days After Crash

WICKENSBURG, AZ — A woman whose car crashed through a fence and then 50 feet down into a ravine on an Arizona highway was found nearly a week later by a group of people working to corral a cow along the highway.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a 53-year-old woman lost control of her car along U.S. 60 on Oct. 12. The car went though the right-of-way fence and fell 50 feet before landing in a mesquite tree. The car remained suspended in the tree above ground, according to the DPS.

Six days later, a maintenance crew with the Arizona Department of Transportation and a rancher were trying to corral a cow when they saw the break in the fence on the highway. The group saw the car that was still lodged in the tree and notified authorities.

A state trooper, two DOT crew members and the rancher searched the car, which was empty. Following human tracks that led towards a river bed, the group found the woman about 500 yards away. According to the DPS, the woman was severely dehydrated and had serious injuries.

According to NBC News, the woman survived on grass and water. The rancher who helped save the woman, David "D.J." Moralez, told NBC News that the woman said she was screaming for help but no one heard her.
The woman told the state trooper who responded to the scene that she stayed inside her car for several days before climbing out. She then walked towards the railroad tracks, hoping someone would find her. But she never made it because of her weakened physical state.

The woman was airlifted to a hospital.

“The diligence of the ADOT crew and teamwork of everyone involved is exemplary and to be commended," Colonel Frank Milstead, the Arizona DPS Director, said in a statement. "Due to their outstanding efforts, this woman’s life was saved.”

SEE ALSO:

• Man Falls Down Mine Shaft, Kills 3 Rattlesnakes To Survive 2 Days

Photo via AZ DPS