(Image
C edit:
Yavapai
Cou ty
She iff’s
Office
via
FOX
10
Phoe ix)
A
88-yea -old
A izo a
ma
a d
his
dog
spe t
a
e ti e
ight
st a ded
i
a
emote
pa t
of
Yavapai
Cou ty
afte
thei
vehicle
became
stuck
i
thick
mud
followi g
ece t
mo soo
sto ms.
The
ma
had
bee
t avelli g
o
a
back
oute
betwee
Ca ef ee
a d
Bloody
Basi
whe
co ditio s
became
too
difficult
fo
his
vehicle
to
co ti ue.
The
a ea
had
little
access
to
egula
commu icatio ,
but
the
d ive
was
able
to
use
a
eme ge cy
SOS
text
featu e
o
his
pho e.
That
message
gave
autho ities
the
i fo matio
they
eeded
to
locate
him,
eve
though
the e
was
o
t aditio al
cell
se vice
whe e
he
was
st a ded.
Rescue
teams
eve tually
eached
the
ma
a d
his
dog
ea ly
F iday
mo i g.
Both
we e
fou d
safe
a d
u ha med.
Acco di g
to
FOX
10
Phoe ix
,
the
eme ge cy
SOS
featu e
helped
officials
pi poi t
the
ma ‘s
locatio .
became
stuck
i
mud
i cide t
happe ed
Thu sday
afte
the
88-yea -old
ma
decided
to
take
back
oads
while
t avelli g
betwee
Ca ef ee
a d
Bloody
Basi
i
Yavapai
Cou ty.Rece t
mo soo
sto ms
had
left
the
emote
backcou t y
oads
i
ext emely
poo
co ditio .
The
ai
had
tu ed
pa ts
of
the
oute
i to
thick,
muddy
te ai ,
maki g
it
difficult
fo
vehicles
to
pass.
At
some
poi t,
the
ma ‘s
vehicle
became
stuck
i
the
mud,
leavi g
him
a d
his
dog
st a ded
miles
away
f om
the
mai
di t
oad.
Because
the
a ea
was
so
emote,
getti g
help
was
ot
as
simple
as
maki g
a
o di a y
pho e
call.Acco di g
to
the
Yavapai
Cou ty
She iff’s
Office,
the e
was
o
egula
cell
se vice
available
at
the
locatio .
The
ma ,
howeve ,
was
able
to
use
his
pho e’s
eme ge cy
SOS
text
fu ctio .
message
evealed
his
locatio
eme ge cy
featu e
p oved
c ucial
because
it
allowed
officials
to
eceive
his
locatio
despite
the
lack
of
o mal
cellula
se vice.
The
SOS
message
p ovided
autho ities
with
his
p ecise
coo di ates,
givi g
escue s
a
clea
idea
of
whe e
they
eeded
to
go.
Without
that
locatio
i fo matio ,
fi di g
a
st a ded
pe so
i
the
vast
a d
difficult
backcou t y
could
have
take
co side ably
lo ge .FOX
10
Phoe ix
epo ted
that
Yavapai
Cou ty
She iff’s
Office
Fo est
Pat ol
deputies
eceived
the
u ge t
epo t
a d
bega
coo di ati g
the
espo se.
The
escue
was
complicated
by
the
same
muddy
a d
wate logged
co ditio s
that
had
t apped
the
ma ‘s
vehicle
i
the
fi st
place.
C ews
had
to
avigate
difficult
te ai
to
each
him.
teams
eached
the
pai
Cou ty
Fo est
Pat ol
deputies
we e
joi ed
by
membe s
of
the
cou ty’s
sea ch-a d- escue
team,
4×4
u its
a d
the
Jeep
Posse.
Usi g
the
locatio
i fo matio
supplied
th ough
the
eme ge cy
SOS
message,
the
teams
we e
able
to
make
thei
way
towa d
the
st a ded
vehicle.
The
difficult
te ai
mea t
escue s
had
to
use
vehicles
capable
of
ha dli g
the
muddy
backcou t y.They
eve tually
eached
the
88-yea -old
ma
a d
his
dog
ea ly
F iday
mo i g.
Both
we e
fou d
safe
a d
u ha med.
The
ma
decli ed
medical
atte tio
afte
bei g
escued,
acco di g
to
the
Yavapai
Cou ty
She iff’s
Office.The
successful
escue
came
afte
the
pai
had
spe t
the
e ti e
ight
i
the
emote
a ea.
stayed
with
his
vehicle
of
the
most
impo ta t
decisio s
the
ma
made
afte
becomi g
st a ded
was
to
emai
with
his
vehicle
athe
tha
attempt
to
walk
th ough
the
u familia
backcou t y.The
she iff’s
office
also
said
he
had
bee
p epa ed
with
food,
wate
a d
his
ecessa y
medicatio s.
Those
supplies
helped
him
get
th ough
the
ight
while
he
waited
fo
escue s
to
a ive.I
a
stateme t
followi g
the
escue,
the
she iff’s
office
said
that
although
t avelli g
o
emote,
u paved
oads
du i g
ece t
mo soo
sto ms
was
ot
advisable,
the
ma
did
two
impo ta t
thi gs
co ectly
o ce
the
eme ge cy
occu ed:
he
stayed
with
his
vehicle
a d
k ew
how
to
use
the
eme ge cy
SOS
featu e.
small
pho e
featu e
made
a
big
diffe e ce
i cide t
highlights
how
eme ge cy
satellite-based
messagi g
ca
become
especially
impo ta t
i
emote
a eas
whe e
co ve tio al
cell
se vice
is
u available.I
this
case,
o e
SOS
message
gave
escue s
the
locatio
i fo matio
they
eeded
to
fi d
a
elde ly
ma
a d
his
dog
i
difficult
te ai
afte
a
ight
of
seve e
weathe .
The
escue
also
se ves
as
a
emi de
of
the
isks
associated
with
t avelli g
o
u paved
backcou t y
oads
du i g
A izo a’s
mo soo
seaso .
Roads
that
may
appea
passable
i
d y
weathe
ca
quickly
become
muddy,
flooded
o
ea ly
impossible
to
c oss
afte
heavy
sto ms.Fo
the
88-yea -old
d ive
a d
his
dog,
howeve ,
k owi g
how
to
use
the
eme ge cy
featu e,
stayi g
with
the
vehicle
a d
havi g
basic
supplies
o
ha d
helped
tu
a
pote tially
da ge ous
situatio
i to
a
safe
escue.