Tourist rescued from cliff in Death Valley
DEATH VALLEY, Calif.–A woman who authorities believe was suffering from an ‘emotional crisis’ was rescued from an unstable cliff ledge in Death Valley National Park earlier this month.
Abandoned tour group
Park rangers and law enforcement officers successfully rescued the unidentified woman on May 10, according to park officials, after she left her tour group and spent a night out on a steep, loose ridge near Artists Drive in the park.
Went missing after brief stop
“The 31-year-old Canadian woman was part of a day-long van tour from Las Vegas on May 9,” a release from the park service said. “The tour stopped at Artists Palette, where the group was given roughly 20 minutes to return to the van. When the woman did not return to the van, the tour guide searched for her, then immediately drove to Furnace Creek to report her missing.”
Early gratuity tipped off officials
Additionally, officials noted that the woman had tipped her tour guide at the beginning of the tour, which led rangers to believe she had planned to leave the tour before its conclusion.
“She had told other people on the tour group that she was visiting Death Valley for ‘spiritual reasons.’”
Found safe and sound
Park rangers then conducted a quick unsuccessful search of the Artists Palette area on the afternoon of May 9.
The location is roughly 72 miles northwest of Pahrump.
As the search continued the following morning, a park ranger spotted the woman on a steep, unstable ridge north of Artists Palette.
Park rangers were able to communicate with the woman but could not find a safe route to reach her.
A California Highway Patrol (CHP) helicopter was used to hoist the woman from the ridge.
Staff from the National Park Service, Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, and CHP partnered on the search and rescue mission, according to the release.
Crossing a sandy Rubicon
The woman later told park rangers she had intended to climb up the slope, wander into the desert and not return.
“She appeared to be experiencing an emotional crisis,” officials said.
As the largest national park outside of Alaska, Death Valley covers 3.4 million acres.
Help available
If you or someone you know is in emotional crisis, dial 988 for free and confidential support from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
The toll-free lifeline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to anyone, and all calls are confidential. 988lifeline.org/talk-to-someone-now/
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes
