Missing 80-year-old saved by devoted Lab who waited with her for days until rescuers came

They say a dog is a man's (or woman's) best friend and this 5-year-old chocolate Labrador proves it, staying by his owner's side for three days and two nights as crews searched for the missing woman.

An 80-year-old woman from Colorado who has dementia was visiting her family's summer home in a remote area of central Utah when she wandered out of their cabin last month. Elsie, a 5-year-old chocolate Labrador, was by her side. When the woman's family, who were busy making dinner, realized she had gone missing, they went looking for her. When they were unable to find her, they alerted authorities and contacted the Emery County Sheriff’s Office for help. Multiple rescue crews with various agencies sprang into action to locate the missing lady and dog but were unsuccessful in their efforts.

Ralph Mitchell, a resident of the Joes Valley located in the remote mountains of central Utah, who has known the missing woman's family for over 50 years told USA TODAY an extensive search involving the sheriff's office, local authorities and members of the community was conducted to locate the woman. Helicopters and drones were deployed, personnel were dispatched on motorcycles and trail bikes, and members of the community went door to door looking for the woman, Mitchell said. No expense was spared, and all surrounding areas were checked continuously for two days and two nights.

James Thomas, a K9 officer with the Utah Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division, told USA TODAY that he and his K9 Kip joined search efforts on the second day the woman was missing. Kip is trained to pick up human tracks and odors, Thomas said.

Thomas explained that high temperatures in the mornings and afternoons hindered their search and "working at night," when the temperatures were cooler was the "best option" for them. Thomas said during their search they heard faint dog barks multiple times alerting them and giving them an idea "where to start looking a little bit more in depth."

"When I was out checking the outbuildings, I heard a dog bark and it was brief," Mitchell said. "I was in a very good position to get a direction on where this dog bark was coming from."

When he heard the bark, he reached out to the missing woman's husband telling her what he heard, and the husband told him that their pet of five years had also been missing with the woman.

Security footage gives investigators direction

On the morning of the third day, Thomas said authorities were able to get hold of security footage from one of the neighbor's cameras, that showed the woman walking past that cabin with her dog.

"It was the first evidence that we had of her presence, and it gave us a timeline of when she was out in walking and how long she'd been missing," Mitchell said.

Thomas said the footage gave them an idea of which direction the woman may have headed in, and he and Mitchell split ways and "hit the hillsides" to continue their search.

Rugged terrain and steep climb

Mitchell said he followed his instincts, having years of training as a first responder under his belt, and went in the direction where heard the barking, even though the terrain was getting extremely rugged, steep and brushy.

"I can see why the K-9 unit had discontinued their search in that area," Mitchell said. "It was very unlikely that this 80-year-old woman would have gone up into such a rough country, but I kept going."

Mitchell said he saw a couple of very slight tracks showing someone had passed that way, despite the ground being very dry and hot. Mitchell continued to follow the tracks, passing through thick brush laced with cactus and rocks, and calling out the dog, until he came about 15 feet of the woman.

That's when the dog barked again, Mitchell said, leading them to the woman.

Woman found with dog by her side

When she was finally found after an extensive search of three days and two nights, Thomas said the woman was asleep with her face down and her dog right by her side. Mitchell said she had sticks in her hair and had lost her shoes.

"She was all scratched up and had bruises on her arms," Thomas said, adding she was also "super dehydrated."

However, she was alert and was happy to see all those who came to rescue her, said Thomas. He shared that the woman did not have any recollection of her ordeal and trauma.

Because there was no cell phone coverage in the area, Mitchell said he started yelling and whistling to alert the family and neighbors, before going down the hill to get them along with water and other provisions for first aid.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, in a post on Facebook, said the woman was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation and Mitchell told USA TODAY Wednesday that the woman is back home and doing well.

Mitchell said the family is incredibly grateful towards everyone involved in rescuing the missing woman and especially thanked him for not only saving the matriarch of their family, but also saved a lifetime of memories for them in a place that they love to be in.

Traveling with dogs?Strict rules about flying with dogs start Thursday, after months of confusion

As for Elsie, Mitchell said she was taken to a vet for a checkup and was dehydrated but is doing well.

"In my story, the outcome is that the dog ultimately is responsible for me being able to find her," Mitchell said. "The dog is ultimately the hero in all this for her loyalty to her owner. That dog's determination to stay with her owner and her devotion and dedication is really commendable."

"Most likely the brief barking that I heard and led me to find her was probably the dog defending the owner from a coyote or another wild animal," he added.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources also credited the woman's rescue to her dog, saying that its barking alerted those searching in the area.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.