San Juan County Sheriff’s Office Air1 Locates Lost Hiker

San Juan County, NM – On February 28^th, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office rescued a hiker and her dog in the Bisti Wilderness area that had been lost since the night before.

On February 27, Diane Brown and her Heeler Annie were exploring the Bisti Badlands.  That evening, as her phone battery was about to die, she sent her husband and friends a text with her coordinates and let them know she was in a wash and was starting a fire. 

At approximately 8:32am on February 28, the Crownpoint Police Department contacted the San Juan County Communications Authority for an agency assist, where the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office aviation team was dispatched to search for the lost hiker.  After seeing Air 1, Diane made her way to higher ground and used an article of clothing to wave in the air, where Air 1 was able to find her after approximately an hour of searching.  She had been prepared with a survival kit and made a fire to survive the frigid night. 

Air 1 returned Diane and Annie to the parking area where the Navajo Nation Fire Department was staged and checked for injuries.  With her chief complaint being she was cold, she was medically released with no injuries.

Undersheriff Cory Tanner provided the following statement, “The Sheriff’s Office helicopter is a tremendous regional asset. While many envision it only being used to assist in criminal matters, it has been used many times in search and rescue efforts of folks in dire situations. We are thankful we were able to locate Ms. Brown and get her to safety after her frigid winter night in the elements.”

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