On December 29, 2025, I parked my vehicle and trailer at a campground in Whitney Pocket at Gold Butte National Monument near Mesquite, AZ. I unloaded my Polaris RZR Trail UTV and headed out toward the Grand Gulch Mine in Arizona, approximately 38 miles from where I had started.

The ride began as planned, but at roughly 3:30 PM, just a few miles from reaching the mine, the trail became much more difficult. The route turned steep, with large boulders blocking the way ahead. I realized that my small, 50 inch wide Polaris UTV would not be able to safely navigate through that section, so I made the decision to turn around and head back toward my car and trailer.

As I began turning around, the UTV started sliding downhill sideways. Before I could correct it, the vehicle became lodged on a large boulder. I spent hours trying to free it, using my winch, towing strap, and various pieces of hardware, but nothing worked. The recovery attempt continued into the night, and I was still unable to get the UTV moving.

At that point, I had no cell service and was many miles from roads or civilization. I knew I was in a remote area, it was dark, and I could not free the vehicle on my own. After exhausting the options I had available, I realized I needed help.

That was when I activated my ResQLink PLB device.

The MCSO Search and Rescue AZ Strip Unit responded and came to my location. Thanks to my beacon, rescuers were alerted and able to find me in a remote area where I had no other way to call for help.

What started as a planned ride to the Grand Gulch Mine quickly became a situation I could not resolve alone. I am grateful I had my ResQLink with me when I needed it.