Hiker and dog rescued from flash flood in Mary Jane Canyon

GRAND COUNTY, Utah — A woman and her dog were rescued after being caught in a flash flood Thursday evening.

According to Grand County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, the 38-year-old woman sent an emergency satellite SOS using her iPhone at approximately 7:20 p.m.

The SOS only contained geographic coordinates with no information about the emergency or why she needed help, according to search and rescue.

Grand County search and rescue sent hikers up Mary Jane Canyon, and a Classic Air Medical helicopter was able to fly after the stormy weather ended.

“After finding no one near the reported coordinates, Classic flew down the canyon and spotted the woman and her dog about 2 miles downstream from the original coordinates,” stated the search and rescue Facebook post.

The helicopter was unable to land in the canyon but notified ground search and rescue teams about her location. Ground crews reached her about 1.5 miles from the trailhead at approximately 9:25 p.m.

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According to search and rescue, the woman said she was caught in a flood and was carried 150 to 200 feet down the canyon.

“She stated that she heard the flood coming and tried to get to higher ground,” the Facebook post stated. “She reached a sand bank above the creek with her dog, but the rising water eroded the sand, sending both her and the dog into the flood waters.”

While being carried away by flood waters, the woman lost her shoes.

According to search and rescue, the woman believed her SOS message failed, so she began to hike down the canyon barefoot with her dog.

“Rescuers stated she was ‘covered in mud from head to toe’ when they reached her,” the Facebook post stated. “A GCSAR member loaned the woman his shoes, and everyone returned to the trailhead.”

Search and rescue reported the woman was uninjured from this accident.