A 32-year-old woman who vanished from the perilous ‘Edge of the World’ campsite in Flagstaff has been found “safe and alive”.
While the Edge of the World campsite offers a stunning view of Bear Sign Canyon, the terrain is known for being perilous due to stiff cliffs and drop offs.
Janelle Banda was last seen in the evening of June 13 at approximately 10:30 p.m. She and her father were on a holiday trip at the time.
When she didn’t return, her father contacted authorities, prompting a search and rescue effort.
The missing person’s report noted that she was five feet five inches tall, 125 pounds, and had brown eyes and black hair.
She was wearing a pair of dark-colored leggings and a black and white sweater at the time of her disappearance.
When search and rescue teams first arrived, they began searching for Banda overnight, but were unable to locate her. The effort continued through the weekend, yet she still hadn’t been found.
Despite that, her family held onto hope that she would eventually be found.
Eventually, the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office brought in additional resources to support the search operation.
Found “Alive and Safe”
On Monday, June 16, three days after her disappearance, Banda was found safe at approximately noon local time.
While authorities did not share further details, her sister Sarah told media outlets that she was located by a search team member near the bottom of Bear Sign Canyon in Coconino National Forest.
In an email statement, Public information officer Sam Salzwedel, of the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, said that both the Pinal and Coconino County sheriff’s offices worked together on the rescue mission.
He added that Janelle was located on Monday by a member of the Coconino County Search and Rescue team. At the time, she was in a narrow canyon surrounded by steep terrain.
Pinal County was able to deploy helicopters, which successfully hoisted her out of the area.
As of Monday, Sarah had not yet reunited with her sister but she noted that “[she] wanted to see her badly.” She was also told by her dad, whom had already talked to her, that “[she] wanted to see her family.”
Before the rescue, her father told media outlets that they had been having “an amazing time,” but acknowledged the area they were camping in was “very dangerous.”
He emphasized that anyone visiting the site should take extra precautions, as the drop-offs, canyons, and cliffs can be extremely hazardous.
