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Texas woman rescued 'after five days in Arizona desert'

  • Published
Media caption,

US student trapped in Grand Canyon for five days

A US woman has been talking about being rescued after becoming lost near the Grand Canyon.

Texan student Amber Vanhecke, 24, told US broadcaster ABC she had been stranded for five days in a remote part of Arizona.

She was visiting the area to hike and got lost when her car ran out of fuel.

When a rescue helicopter spotted her abandoned car last Friday, they found a note inside saying she had gone to try and get a mobile phone signal.

Shortly afterwards she was seen "frantically waving" to get their attention.

Image source, Arizona Department of Public Safety
Image caption,

Aerial photo showing Ms Venhecke's car and 'help' spelled out in rocks

The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) said in a that she had alerted them with an emergency call but the line had dropped before her location was confirmed.

She was treated at the scene for exposure and then transported to hospital.

A DPS paramedic described the woman as "smart and prepared".

"She had food and water in her vehicle for the trip," . "Even though she was down to her last bit of water, it kept her going. When she left the vehicle, she left notes so we knew where to find her. She did everything right."

Image source, Arizona Department for Public Safety
Image caption,

Ms Venhecke's handwritten note found in her car by rescuers