Crime Watch - Stranded (2020)

A STUDENT has told how she survived the harsh terrain of the Grand Canyon for five days after she became stranded when her car ran out of petrol.

Amber VanHecke, 24, became lost on March 12 during a sightseeing trip after her GPS took her down a road which didn't exist.
But instead of panicking Amber used her wits to survive in the desert for days while waiting for someone to come and rescue her.

She portioned out her supplies to last her 23 days - surviving on nuts, seeds and dried fruit and cooking noodles on the dashboard of her car at the hottest part of the day.
Amber used her wits to survive after becoming stranded in the Nevada desert
Amber cooked noodles on her car dashboard in the sun to survive
The resourceful student, who'd driven to Arizona from Texas, also made a 10-foot-tall 'SOS' and 'HELP' sign in rocks on the ground and flashed her touched into the sky at night.

On one of the days a truck flew past her car, which was parked near an old water container, without spotting her.
Amber wrote 'HELP' in rocks on the desert ground
So she made a barricade along the path to stop any more vehicles from coming past.

As she became more desperate, the 24-year-old from Denton, Texas, started making videos for her friends and family.
After five days, Amber made the decision to abandon her car and walk for 11 miles until she got some phone signal - leaving notes by her car to direct rescuers.

" I got tired of waiting to be rescued," she said in a post on her GoFundMe page set up to raise money towards her medical costs.
The resourceful student desperately tried to get the attention of passers-by after she became stranded
"I had no signal and no gps. So I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and hiked a total of 21-22 miles.

"I had to hike 11 miles east from my car just to get signal to call 911. Even then, the call dropped after 49 seconds and I had to pray they got enough info to find me."

Amber handmade signs asking people to stop and left them on her car
Just 40 minutes later and air ambulance pilot spotted her car and the signs and picked her up where she was airlifted to hospital to be treated for exposure, dehydration and sunburn.

Amber wrote on Facebook that she was "thankful to be alive" following the ordeal.
She has returned to classes at the University of North Texas and said she is feeling fine apart from having tender feet from all the walking.

The pilot who found her Jonah Nieves applauded Amber's survival skills.