UINTAH COUNTY, Utah — One of the law enforcement K-9s with the Utah Department of Natural Resources was instrumental in rescuing a woman who wandered off during a mental health episode last month.
The DNR said the woman was with her family near Vernal when she walked away and out of sight. Officers from multiple agencies responded to search for the missing woman in the desert landscape. Then at one point, they "called in the paws," as DNR put it.
K-9 "Hawk" picked up a scent from the family's car and followed it. He led his human handler and others in the party over hills, under fences, and eventually down into a ravine. There, they spotted a boot print. Hawk continued to follow the trail until he led the team to the missing woman.
Officials say she was lying on the ground and in "emotional distress," but physically unharmed. The search party escorted her to a waiting ambulance for evaluation.
The DNR shared the K-9 handler officer's bodycam footage, which can be viewed above.
