A 37-YEAR-OLD PHOENIX WOMAN GOT OUT OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHILE HIKING NEAR PRESCOTT LAST WEEK, THANKS TO A YAVAPAI COUNTY SHERRIF’S DEPUTY.

YCSO DEPUTIES RESPONDED TO A CALL LAST WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OF A WOMAN SCREAMING FOR HELP ON A TRAIL IN GRANITE DELLS FLUME TRAIL NEAR WATSON LAKE.

USING COORDINATES FROM THE INITIAL CALL WITH A FEMALE THAT WAS DROPPED, 911 DISPATCHERS WERE ABLE TO ROUTE DEPUTIES TO THE LOCATION. WHILE DEPUTIES WERE EN ROUTE TO THE SCENE, THE DISPATCHERS WERE ABLE TO RECONNECT THE CALL, WHERE THE WOMAN STATED SHE WAS HIKING, HAD FALLEN ABOUT SIX FEET, BROKE HER LEG AND WAS BLEEDING EXTENSIVELY.

A YCSO DEPUTY WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WAS ABLE TO RESPOND FIRST AND BEGAN TO HIKE TOWARDS THE GPS COORDINATES THROUGH THICK BRUSH AND DEBRIS BEFORE CROSSING KNEE HIGH WATERS IN GRANITE CREEK. HE THEN HIKED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 MILE TO THE 911 COORDINATES WHERE HE LOCATED THE HIKER BELOW A LARGE BOULDER AND PARTIALLY IN THE CREEK. 

THE WOMAN HAD A SERIOUS COMPOUND FRACTURE TO HER LOWER RIGHT LEG WITH EXCESSIVE BLEEDING, SO THE DEPUTY APPLIED A TOURNIQUET TO KEEP HER FROM LOSING TOO MUCH BLOOD.

HE EXPLAINED TO THE HIKER THAT HE HAD NO CELL PHONE OR RADIO SERVICES AND THAT HE WOULD NEED TO GET HIGHER GROUND TO CONTACT ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

11 MEMBERS OF THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM BACK COUNTY UNIT ARRIVED AND ASSISTED IN EVACUATING THE HIKER TO THE AWAITING AMBULANCE. SHE WAS FLOWN TO HONOR HEALTH IN DEER VALLEY, ENDING A SUCCESSFUL THREE HOUR AND 45 MINUTE SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION.