NORWOOD, Colo. — Search and rescue crews on Sunday morning found a 53-year-old Canadian woman alive and uninjured after she spent four days alone in the San Miguel County backcountry.
Gina Chase, of Victoria, British Columbia, was located in the targeted search area in the Lone Cone area outside of Norwood, according to the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office.
“Obviously, this is the outcome we were all hoping for, and we couldn’t be happier for Ms. Chase and her family. The ultimate success of this mission is a real testament to our responders’ tenacity and perseverance,” said San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters in a statement.
Chase was with 11 other campers from an organized group out of Durango and set off for solo journeys into the woods from the Wilson Mesa trailhead in the Lone Cone area on Wednesday morning. She was reported missing when she failed to return to her campsite the next day.
Chase did not have a cell phone with her because participants were discouraged from bringing one on their so-called quests to maximize a spiritual experience with nature, the sheriff's office said. They were also encouraged to fast.
But Sheriff Masters warned venturing out alone in the backcountry without food or technology is not advisable.
“You should always bring technology for communications. Furthermore, you should not starve yourself even if a “guide” service suggests the opposite of these basic safety rules. Nature does not care about your safety and will kill you if you are not properly prepared,” Sheriff Masters said in a statement.
The sheriff's office said more than three dozen deputies, search and rescue members, and dozens more from multiple agencies have been searching for the missing woman since Thursday afternoon. Difficult terrain, dense underbrush, and trees made the search especially challenging.
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