Current:Home > NewsWoman missing for 4 days found alive in Idaho canyon thanks to tip from civilians: "Truly a miracle" -ProfitPioneers Hub
Woman missing for 4 days found alive in Idaho canyon thanks to tip from civilians: "Truly a miracle"
View
Date:2025-04-16 19:46:26
A missing woman was found alive four days after disappearing, police said this week, thanks to the sharp observations of two men who spotted her car crashed in an Idaho canyon.
Penny Kay Clark, 72, was reported missing by the Nampa Police Department after having not been in contact with her family since Dec. 5. On Dec. 9, two men saw a vehicle matching the description of Clark's car, according to a news release by the Canyon County Sheriff's Office, and called police to inform them of the scene around 11:40 a.m. local time on Sunday, Dec. 10.
The men said that the car "appeared to have gone partway down" the wall of a canyon near Melba, Idaho, according to the sheriff's office. When officials arrived on the scene, the car was found about 200 yards down the canyon wall.
Clark herself was about 40 feet below the car in a ravine, the sheriff's office said.
Multiple agencies, including the sheriff's office and Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, were involved in the efforts to rescue Clark. The decision was made to reach her on foot. When search and rescue team members made their way to her at around 1 p.m. local time, they found Clark was conscious and alert.
The 72-year-old was stabilized and carry out to paramedics staged on a nearby road. It took about two hours to carry Clark from where she was found to that staging location, the sheriff's office said. At 3 p.m. local time, Clark was officially transferred to an ambulance and was transported to an area hospital by a Life Flight Network helicopter after an initial evaluation. As of Sunday, she was still being treated for her injuries. No information about her injuries was shared publicly. Her family was with her at the hospital, the sheriff's office said.
Responding medics estimated that Clark was in the canyon for "at least a couple of days," said Canyon County sheriff Kieran Donahue in the news release, noting that it was "more than likely" she had been there since Tuesday, when her family last spoke with her.
"This is frankly one of the most miraculous incidents that I can recall in all my years in law enforcement, and it's a true testament to the strength and fortitude of Penny Clark," Donahue said. "It's truly a miracle, and I'm hopeful that she makes a full recovery. ... This was a true team effort."
A similar incident occurred just three months ago in California, when a motorist was found alive inside his vehicle after being trapped at the bottom of a ravine for nearly five days. The car had fallen about 100 feet, and the driver had been trapped inside the vehicle the entire time they had been missing. It took nearly two dozen emergency responders to rescue the driver.
- In:
- Rescue
- Idaho
- Car Accident
- Car Crash
- Missing Woman
- Missing Person
Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.
TwitterveryGood! (4992)
Related
- Kehlani Responds to Hurtful Accusation She’s in a Cult
- 16-year-old American girl falls over 300 feet to her death while hiking in Switzerland
- Bureau of Land Management shrinks proposed size of controversial Idaho wind farm project
- Why Emilia Clarke Feared She Would Get Fired From Game of Thrones After Having Brain Aneurysms
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- California socialite gets 15 to life for 2020 hit-and-run deaths of two young brothers
- Meet Katie Grimes, the Olympic Swimmer Katie Ledecky Has Dubbed the Future of Their Sport
- 'American Idol' contestant Jack Blocker thought he didn't get off on 'right foot' with Katy Perry
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Attraction starring Disney’s first Black princess replaces ride based on film many viewed as racist
Ranking
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Four Cornell College instructors stabbed while in China, suspect reportedly detained
- NFL’s dedication to expanding flag football starts at the top with Commissioner Roger Goodell
- May tornadoes, derecho storm push weather damages past $25 billion so far this year
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Here's why Dan Hurley going to the Lakers never really made sense
- France's Macron dissolves National Assembly, calls for snap legislative elections after EU vote defeat
- Some California officials can meet remotely. For local advisory boards, state lawmakers say no
Recommendation
Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
Crew finds submerged wreckage of missing jet that mysteriously disappeared more than 50 years ago
Missouri set to execute David Hosier for murder of former lover. Here's what to know
Dozens arrested in new pro-Palestinian protests at University of California, Los Angeles
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Takeaways from AP examination of flooding’s effect along Mississippi River
An Oregon man was stranded after he plummeted off an embankment. His dog ran 4 miles to get help.
NFL’s dedication to expanding flag football starts at the top with Commissioner Roger Goodell