Local woman injured while hiking
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
The CEO/owner of Full Circle Health Care, LLC, located at 180 Academy Street in Presque Isle, is lucky to be alive, after she was injured while hiking in a remote southern Utah high desert last week.
E. Victoria Grover, 59, of Wade, was taken to Cedar City hospital after spending four days alone with a broken leg in a rugged section of Dixie National Forest, north of the town of Escalante.
According to an Associated Press report, Grover set out on a short day hike Tuesday from Hell’s Backbone Road to Sand Creek but ended up spending the night in the desert after it became too dark for her to reach her car. She broke her leg the next morning while jumping off a four-foot ledge.
Grover, who was described as an outdoors enthusiast and physician’s assistant, slept during the day in the shade and stayed awake at night. To survive, she relied on a nearby creek for water but had no food other than a few light snacks, according to deputies with the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
Grover had been staying at a guest ranch. When she did not return to check out Thursday as planned, officials at the ranch notified the Sheriff’s Office. Authorities located Grover through a rental car agreement found in her room at the ranch. Sheriff’s Deputy Ray Gardner indicated had it not been for locating the agreement which subsequently gave law enforcement a description of Grover’s vehicle, the woman might not have survived much longer.
Grover was found on Saturday and transported to the hospital where she was treated for her injuries and hypothermia which resulted from an evening cold front that caused temperatures to dip into the mid-30s. Daytime highs were reported in the 50s and 60s. Doctors performed surgery on her badly-injured left leg on Saturday.
She reportedly was not dressed for such overnight lows and was found wearing a couple long-sleeved shirts, a rain poncho and lightweight pants. Police indicated a backpacker had died of hypothermia in the same area when they became stranded a few years earlier.
According to the report, Grover’s intentions were to do about a six-mile round-trip hike but it became a challenge because it was an unmarked, unmaintained trail over rugged, scenic terrain.
Grover was reportedly revisiting country she first saw while taking a Brigham Young University survival school class 40 years ago.
Scott Monroe, hospital spokesman, said while Grover was no longer accepting media requests for interviews, she did wish to thank all who were involved with her rescue and for the warm wishes from home.
“I want to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to all those concerned about my health, safety and well-being. I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate to be alive and am truly grateful to those who helped me in any way,” said Grover, in a statement released by the hospital.
“I wish to thank the medical teams at Valley View Medical Center and Garfield Memorial Hospital for their wonderful care. I also wish to thank everyone involved in the search and rescue efforts, including Garfield County Sheriff’s Department and the Utah Highway Patrol,” Grover continued.
“I look forward to getting back home to Maine to see my family and friends,” said Grover. “Again, I thank you for your thoughts and prayers.”
Monroe said Grover’s tentative release date was Tuesday, May 1. Monroe did not know if she would be staying in the area immediately following release or if she would be heading home to Maine.
