On July 19th, a woman became trapped inside northern Arizona's Wildcat Tank Canyon, and recorded her 13 hours there on her phone.
Madison Hart was hiking with a friend in the canyon, which is located north of Page, Arizona. According to Yahoo! News, Hart and her friend were both stuck together. They had climbed into a tight space, and Hart reported being stuck at her hips. As a result, she was unable to sit or kneel for the entirety of her time stuck.
In efforts to be saved, Hart and her friend tried light a fire for a smoke signal, screamed for help, and tried calling emergency services. Due to poor cell service, calls were unsuccessful. Eventually, Hart's friend was able to contact her roommate, in a moment of brief phone service. It was then that the rescue efforts were put into action.
Hart was saved after 13 hours trapped in the canyon, but her friend was saved after only 7 hours. The disparity in timeliness came as a result of Hart's extreme circumstances. According to the Coconino Sheriff's Department, Hart was found some 300-feet into the canyon. Moreover, an ankle injury kept Hart from climbing to the first rescue team's location. Hart said of her situation, that she unable to move forward or backward, as doing so would have caused a "crush injury." Likewise, Hart reported that her legs had turned purple by the time she was rescued.
Hiker Films Her Entrapment in Arizona Canyon
Hart was able to film, with her phone, much of her entrapment. The now viral videos show Hart waving overhead at a helicopter, which appeared to be searching for the pair. As the day turns to night, you can also hear Hart speaking to members of the rescue crew.
Hart's rescue from the canyon was a reminder of the great work done by emergency crews in the public lands spread across the country throughout the year. Notably, last week, a family of 13 was saved off an Arizona hiking trail after running out of water while moving through triple-digit temperatures.
