A woman who was reported missing last November was located in a Utah campground.
The unidentified 47-year-old woman was reported missing on Nov. 25 of last year after authorities found an apparently abandoned campsite. U.S. Forest Service officials found identifying information for the camper and information suggesting the woman may be struggling with mental health challenges but were unable to locate the woman, according to a statement from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office.
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
On Sunday, an agent with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office returned to the Diamond Fork area of Spanish Fork Canyon to search for the woman with a drone, which crashed. As the UCSO sergeant and drone pilot searched for the drone, a tent was encountered that was believed to be abandoned. Then, the zipper of the tent opened, and the missing woman emerged.
TWO SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN 1996 DISAPPEARANCE OF KRISTIN SMART
While the unidentified woman “had lost a significant amount of weight” and was “weak,” she was “apparently also resourceful.”
“We now believe she knowingly chose to remain in the area over the months since November 2020,” the statement said. “She did have a small amount of food with her, and she told SAR officials she foraged for grass and moss to subsist. She also had access to an ample supply of water in a nearby river.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Deputies transported the woman to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation. It is not stated what the results of that evaluation were.
“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,” authorities concluded.
