The California Highway Patrol released dramatic images of a helicopter rescue in Death Valley that happened on May 9, 2024. A 31-year-old Canadian woman was part of a day trip group from Las Vegas. The tour guide reported her missing when she didn't return to the van. Rangers determined the woman planned to leave the tour before it finished. She told others in the group she came to the park for "spiritual reasons." Park Rangers didn't locate the woman until the next morning when they found her trapped on a steep, unstable ridge. They were able to hoist her off the ridge with a daring helicopter maneuver. She told them she had planned to climb the slope and wander into the desert. They reportedly believe she was experiencing an emotional crisis.