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Amanda Butterfield Reporting Two women out for a day of skiing up Emigration Canyon run into some unexpected problems. But Chopper Five comes to the rescue!
Amy McDonald-Sanyer/Friend: "It's beautiful. Everything was perfect, except my friend fell and tore her A.C.L."
Chopper Five first spotted the women after one of them called 911 because of her friend's injury. Now both of those women are back home tonight, warming up after a cold evening stuck on the mountain.
The call for help came in just after 3:00 this afternoon. Soon after, Chopper Five was in the air and had the women in sight.
Amy McDonald-Sanyer: "We thought it was Search and Rescue. They were great."
But it was really Chopper Five that Amy McDonald was relieved to see.
Amy McDonald-Sanyer: "What was really great is the helicopter stayed until they made contact with Search and Rescue on the ground, which was really nice."
Our pilot, Fritz Holley, was able to lead Search and Rescue crews right to the injured woman.
Deputy Mark Olsen/ Salt Lake County: "I saw them in the area when I came up, and requested help in locating the patient. They were able to locate her and give a gps coordinate."
But it took awhile for crews to get there. So in the meantime, the two skiers tried to cover some ground on their own, with Bosco the dog never leaving his owner's side.
Amy McDonald-Sanyer: "He's a very loyal guy."
However, moving when Search and Rescuers are looking for you isn't recommended.
Deputy Olsen: "In the event of an injury, [it's] better to stay put so you don't hurt yourself worse."
The women say they knew that.
Amy McDonald-Sanyer: "Common sense tells you to stay still. But the other side was Search and Rescue was going to have a very hard time to get in."
Amy McDonald-Sanyer: "And we were so cold."
Soon a group of rescuers was on its way, and with Chopper Five as their guide, found them. Sanyer was able to ski out on her own. Her injured friend was put on a sleigh and taken down the mountain.
Once that knee is healed, both women (and Bosco, of course) will head back up the mountain again.
The women say they never feared for their lives. They had Chopper Five overhead, and they were prepared to spend a night if rescuers couldn't get to them.
They had extra clothes, blankets, even a lighter. Deputies say by having all of that, as well as going in twos and carrying a cellphone, they did everything right.
