recovered a body in one location and rescued a woman who fell into a well in recent days. Crews responded at about 5 p.m. Friday after hikers summoned help to an area near Craggy Wash north of Lake Havasu City.
“They were hiking near a mountain peak and believed there was someone who needed help or may have been deceased, but could not get close enough to make that determination,” an S&R Facebook post said. Arriving personnel confirmed the subject to be deceased.
Recovery operations were initiated Saturday.
“Considering the different options to extract the body with our technical rope rescue team, the DPS Western Air Rescue helicopter from Kingman became available and performed a long-line extraction,” the Facebook post said.
The victim was identified as Melinda Oakeson. The sheriff’s office said the 46-year-old woman who had separate addresses in Utah and Snowflake and had been living out of her vehicle was reported missing by a concerned family member on Oct. 16.
S&R personnel also responded Saturday morning to a call for help for a 68-year-old Bullhead City woman who was injured when she fell into a hand-dug well at the old Richardson Townsite near Union Pass, off Hwy. 68 in the Black Mountains.
“Technical rope and rescue teams from Golden Valley Fire and Search and Rescue responded and set up an Arizona Vortex to raise her out of the well,” another Facebook post said. “The well was dry about four feet wide and about 15 feet deep. A rescuer was lowered into the well and provided initial medical treatment.”
The unidentified woman was reportedly transported by ambulance to a Careflight helicopter for hospital transport and evaluation, and there was no word on the nature or severity of her injuries.
