A Colorado hiker was found alive four days after she disappeared in the backcountry during a "spiritual" retreat with a group of campers who did not bring cellphones, authorities said.
Gina Chase, 53, of Victoria, Canada, was located uninjured on Saturday in the search area near Lone Cone, Colorado, the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office said.
Chase was part of a group that intentionally went into the backcountry without cellphones and were encouraged to fast on their so-called "quests" to "maximize a spiritual experience with nature," the sheriff’s office said. The Animas Valley Institute in Durango runs the program.
Chase was last seen Wednesday around 11 a.m. when she left her group to set off on a "solo journey," the sheriff’s office said.
Chase was reported missing to camp guides on Thursday after her "buddy" returned to the main camp and realized that Chase had not checked in, officials said. The camp guides conducted their own search for a few hours but could not find any signs of Chase.
At around 2 p.m., the guides called the sheriff’s office, which immediately launched a search and rescue mission for Chase. Dozens of deputies and volunteers scoured challenging terrain of dense underbrush and trees over the next four days before finding Chase unharmed.
"Obviously, this is the outcome we were all hoping for, and we couldn’t be happier for Ms. Chase and her family," San Miguel County Sheriff Bill Masters said. "The ultimate success of this mission is a real testament to our responders’ tenacity, perseverance, and dedication."
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Masters also warned the public against going into the backcountry alone without the proper equipment and slammed the retreat leaders for encouraging fasting in the wilderness.
"You should always bring technology for communications," Masters said. "Furthermore, you should not starve yourself even if a 'guide' service suggests the opposite of these basic safety rules. Nature does not care about your safety and will kill you especially if you are not properly prepared."
The Animas Valley Institute website states that it offers a "nature-based journey of soul initiation," which includes what it calls "soulcraft intensives" and "contemporary vision fasts," since being founded in 1980.
After Chase was found safe, the institute released a statement thanking the sheriff’s office and stating that safety was its top concern.
"The Animas Valley Institute has run backcountry programs in Colorado since 1980 with no serious incidents," the statement read, in part. "The safety of our participants remains our highest priority."
