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    Home » Blog » She Survived the Unthinkable—Because Her Dog Refused to Give Up

    She Survived the Unthinkable—Because Her Dog Refused to Give Up

    Lara BlairBy Lara BlairOctober 10, 2025

     

    She was a world-class athlete, trained to endure the impossible — but nothing could have prepared Danelle Ballengee for what happened that freezing day in the Utah wilderness. A single misstep sent her plummeting into a canyon, leaving her broken, bleeding, and utterly alone for three days. As temperatures dropped and her strength faded, search leader John Marshal and his team raced against time through the rugged terrain. What followed wasn’t just a rescue — it was a miracle.

    Shadows Over Moab

    Sheep in Utah Mountains Desert
    Image via Dale DuBose on Facebook

    On the afternoon of December 15, 2006, gloom settled over Moab’s rugged canyons. Frigid winds whispered of nightfall’s approach.

    The vast, barren backcountry loomed unforgiving—an icy labyrinth where hope seemed fragile and survival nearly impossible. At the Amasa Back trailhead, rescuers gathered in tense silence.

    John Marshall, commander of Grand County Search and Rescue, took a deep breath before briefing his team on what lay ahead.

    The Vanishing of an Athlete

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    Marshall gathered his team beneath the gray sky, his words measured but heavy. They were here to unravel a mystery that had gripped the entire town.

    The missing woman, 35-year-old Danelle Ballengee, wasn’t just anyone — she was a world-class endurance athlete, fearless and strong, someone no one believed could simply disappear.

    A concerned neighbor had reported her missing after not seeing her for two days. Hours earlier, police had discovered her truck abandoned near Canyon Country. The outlook was not good.

    Preparing for the Worst

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    Though trained to call it a rescue mission, the team knew better. In Moab’s unforgiving canyons, harsh cliffs, and freezing nights often told grimmer stories.

    The terrain was merciless—jagged sandstone, steep drop-offs, and cold shadows that swallowed daylight too soon. Surviving three days out here seemed nearly impossible, even for an athlete.

    As Marshall finalized assignments, a teammate approached quietly. “Do you have a body bag, John?” He didn’t. With a solemn nod, he whispered, “Leave it with me.”

    Too Tough to Lose

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    For John Marshall, this mission felt different. It wasn’t just another search — it was a fight against the fear of losing someone he knew.

    Months earlier, he’d worked beside Danelle Ballengee as a backcountry medic during the brutal Primal Quest Utah race, witnessing her grit, resilience, and refusal to ever surrender.

    He’d watched her stumble from a 46-mile march, sunburned, dehydrated, her feet torn raw — yet still she pushed forward. Accepting her death now felt impossible.

    The Stranger on the Trail

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    As the team readied to step into the cold, silent wilderness, something moved ahead — a lone dog wandered out from the winding trail.

    They stopped. The animal matched the description of Danelle Ballengee’s dog — reddish-brown coat, medium build, cautious eyes. Marshall called softly, but it refused to come closer.

    Animal Control officers, guessing it hadn’t eaten in days, tried offering food. Still, the dog kept its distance — wary, restless, as if guarding something unseen.

    A Heartbreaking Sign

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    For John Marshall, the sight of the dog alone spoke louder than words. In his experience, it could only mean one thing — heartbreak.

    “Most dogs won’t leave their master as long as their master has a pulse,” he told the Summit Daily. “To see that dog was a truly saddening sight.”

    Still, what Marshall couldn’t have known was that this wasn’t a farewell. The dog, Taz, hadn’t abandoned Danelle — he was there because she sent him.

    The Morning It All Began

    Female hands on laptop keyboard
    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    For Danelle Ballengee, it all had begun on the morning of December 13 — two days before the search teams would gather in Moab’s frozen canyons.

    It was a day like so many others. She made a few phone calls, sent off some emails, then stopped at Burger King for lunch and coffee.

    With her loyal dog Taz by her side, she drove toward the Amasa Back trail — a favorite route she hadn’t run in a while, feeling eager to return.

    An Athlete Like No Other

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    Danelle didn’t think the Amasa Back trail was a challenge — it was a warm-up. For an athlete like her, this was easy terrain.

    Born in Evergreen, Colorado, the 35-year-old’d built a reputation as one of the world’s top female endurance racers, winning grueling events like Primal Quest, Raid Gauloises, and Eco-Challenge.

    She’d run across deserts, climbed through jungles, and conquered mountains on little sleep. Compared to those trials, a short training run near Moab felt almost effortless.

    Setting Out

    Utah Desert
    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    After a short drive, Danelle arrived in Moab — a land of red rock canyons, steep ridges, and twisting trails carved through layers of ancient sandstone.

    She knew the route well. If all went smoothly, she’d be back at her truck in about an hour and forty-five minutes, give or take.

    Confident — maybe too confident — she locked her phone and wallet in the car, packed a water bottle, and adjusted her fanny pack. Dressed in layered warmth, with Taz by her side, she took off down the trail.

    Off the Beaten Path

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    The Amasa Back trail twisted through red desert and slickrock — a technical route that runners and mountain bikers loved when the Utah sun hung high and hot.

    But Danelle preferred her own way. After years in Moab, she’d stitched together a personal loop — eight miles of faint Jeep tracks, hidden connectors, and unmapped terrain.

    About an hour in, she reached one of those wild sections — a steep, loose slope climbing toward the skyline. She started up, steady and sure, never imagining what waited beyond.

    The Fall

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    Near the top, Danelle’s foot pressed against something slick — a surface that looked solid but shifted beneath her weight like glass. She had no time to react.

    Later, she’d guess it was black ice — invisible against the sandstone, maybe frozen lichen spread thin and smooth, clinging to the rock like a trap.

    Then came the slip. Her balance vanished, her body pitching backward into open air. She tumbled, hitting one ledge, then another, each impact echoing through the canyon below.

    The Final Drop

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    After the second ledge — nearly forty feet into her fall — the slope vanished beneath her, turning suddenly into a sheer, unforgiving wall of stone.

    Momentum carried her forward, weightless for a heartbeat before gravity reclaimed her. She plunged through open air, a two-story drop into the silent canyon below.

    She hit the ground square on her feet — a perfect landing in theory, but the force was brutal. Her body crumpled.

    Shattered Silence

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    Agony tore through her body the instant she hit the floor. Her pelvis had shattered — four breaks, several cracks, and one splintered mess beyond counting.

    She screamed, a sound ripped from somewhere deep, echoing through the empty canyon walls, carried off by the cold desert wind until it faded to nothing.

    In that moment, Danelle knew. This wasn’t an injury she could run off or crawl away from. She was broken — trapped in the wilderness, alone.

    Crawling Through the Canyon

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    Adrenaline still rushed through her body, helping her fight the pain. Gasping, Danelle rolled onto her stomach and slowly pushed herself up to her knees. She had to gett out of the canyon.

    She began to crawl. One leg worked, but the other was useless — stiff and heavy. With both hands, she lifted it and placed it inches ahead.

    For five long hours, she dragged herself through the canyon, the walls rising high above her. By the end, she’d moved only a quarter mile.

    The First Night

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    Eventually, adrenaline wore off, and darkness fell fast over the canyon. “It got so dark I couldn’t see where I was going,” Danelle later told The Guardian.

    She stopped and stayed near a small puddle of water to drink from. In her pack, she only had a water bottle, two ibuprofen, a few energy gels, and a thin shower cap.

    Taz curled up beside her, warm and loyal. They lay there through the night — scared, hurting, but together, waiting for morning to come.

    Through the Cold

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    That night, the temperature dropped below freezing. “I couldn’t go to sleep or I would die of hypothermia,” Danelle explained, “So I stayed awake doing mini-crunches — lifting my head a few inches, over and over.”

    Taz never left her side, pressing close to share what little warmth he could. The cold bit hard, but she refused to give in.

    Still, she tried to stay hopeful. Someone would notice she was gone. Someone would hear her calls. But the canyon was silent — December quiet, miles from anyone.

    Every Drop Counted

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    When her half-bottle of water ran dry, Danelle turned to a small, muddy puddle of melted snow beside her — two inches deep, murky but life-saving.

    Her thirst was constant, almost unbearable, yet she forced herself to think carefully. If she drank too much, her body would release it, and she couldn’t move to relieve herself.

    Frozen clothes could mean death. So she rationed every sip, scooping water with her bottle cap — a little here, a little there, just enough to stay alive.

    Small Things, Big Hope

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    Inside her fanny pack, two small packets held a bit of hope — raspberry-flavored energy gels, her only food in the cold, empty canyon.

    She tore open the first one that morning, saving the second for later. Each was a promise, a spark of strength to keep her going.

    After eating, she told herself she’d crawl again, try to find a way out. But her body stayed still — aching, heavy, and unwilling to move.

    The Second Night

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    The second night felt endless. The cold pressed in harder, the darkness seemed heavier, and the silence made the canyon feel more isolating than ever before.

    Time moved painfully slow. Each hour dragged on, her body weakening, her breath shallow, every minute a reminder of how far she was from safety.

    Her feet had turned numb with frostbite, and her stomach swelled from hidden injuries. Unlike the first night, Danelle could barely move.

    A Night Apart

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    That night was harder in every way. Unlike the night before, Taz didn’t curl up beside Danelle to keep her warm.

    Instead, he wandered in and out of the darkness, circling back to check on her now and then, never straying too far, but never settling either.

    “He just kinda looked at me like, asking, ‘What are you doing, lying there?’” Danelle said. “I don’t think he knew what to do either. He was probably thinking, ‘Should I leave or should I stay here with her?’”

    Borrowed Time

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    What Danelle didn’t know that second night was that the cold — the same freezing air biting at her skin — was also keeping her alive.

    Because the brutal fall had shattered her pelvis in at least four places, hidden beneath the surface, one-third of her blood had leaked into her abdomen.

    The icy temperatures slowed the bleeding, buying her precious hours she didn’t realize she needed. Still, every minute that passed was borrowed time, slipping quietly away.

    The Breaking Point

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    By the third day, the fact that Danelle was still alive was a miracle. But her body was failing. A hard lump had formed deep in her stomach.

    She couldn’t see it, but she knew what it meant — blood pooling inside her, the slow toll of her shattered pelvis catching up at last. Determined, she tried to move again.

    She dragged herself only a few meters before collapsing. Her breath came shallow, her vision dimmed. After fifty long hours, hope began to fade. Lying on her back, she cried, certain the end was near.

    Her Last Chance

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    Danelle couldn’t hold on anymore. She lost control and urinated, wetting her clothes. She knew the truth — without help soon, hypothermia would claim her life that same night.

    The once unstoppable athlete was giving in, her strength fading fast. “I started thinking about my life and everything I still wanted to do,” she said.

    “I thought about family, friends. Taz was all I had. I told him, ‘Go get me help, please. It’s my last chance, Taz.” Soon after, Taz took off. Now all Danelle could do was pray. Little did she know, help was already on the way.

    A Signal in the Canyon

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    By the time Danelle sent Taz for help, John Marshall and his team had reached Moab and were busy setting their rescue plan in motion.

    Marshall had just finished assigning tasks when movement caught their eyes — a reddish-brown dog bounding toward them through the cold, open desert.

    It was Taz. Within an hour of leaving Danelle, he’d found the rescuers. Each time they tried to grab him, he dodged — long enough for them to understand he wanted to be followed.

    The Guide

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    At first, Taz took off in the wrong direction — away from the trailhead, heading back toward town. The rescuers exchanged puzzled looks but kept following.

    The dog glanced back, checking to see if they were behind him. Then, as if satisfied, he suddenly turned, sprinting straight toward the canyons again.

    “It was like once he knew he had our attention, it was time to go back,” said rescuer Rex Tanner. Over the radio, Marshall instructed the field team not to catch the dog — just follow him wherever he led.

    Tracks in the Dirt

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    Within minutes, Taz ran into Bego Gerhart, an Eagle Scout and desert tracker already working the field as part of Marshall’s search team, combing the canyon.

    Gerhart spotted the dog sprinting over a rise and down an old Jeep trail, then chased after him on foot, determined not to lose sight.

    But Taz slipped into a canyon too fast to follow. In the soft dirt, Gerhart found fresh dog prints, older ones, and human footprints “like a female runner’s.”

    Found at Last

    Still from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    Gerhart rushed back to his Ranger and tore down the canyon, eyes fixed on the trail of prints leading deeper into the red rock maze.

    A few minutes later — 3:38 p.m., more than fifty-two hours since Danelle’s fall — he rounded a bend and froze at the sight ahead.

    There she was — alive, lying on her back, tears streaming down her face. Beside her, Taz rested quietly, his snout on her chest. Gerhart’s eyes filled; he rushed to her as fast as he could.

    A Cry of Joy

    Sill from “The Story Of How A Dog Saved An Owner’s Life! | S3 E01 | Full Episode | I Shouldn’t Be Alive” via I Shouldn’t Be Alive on YouTube

    For Danelle, that moment felt like a miracle — one of the happiest of her life. After more than two days alone, help had finally come.

    She saw Taz return, then heard the faint hum of an engine echoing through the canyon. Gathering the last of her strength, she began shouting for help.

    A figure appeared — It was Gerhart, walking toward her with a gentle smile. “I’m glad to see you,” she told him through tears. “I’m glad to see you too,” he said softly.

    The Long-Awaited Rescue

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    Gerhart moved quickly but gently. He wrapped Danelle in a down bag, slipped warm gloves over her hands, and radioed Marshall with the words everyone had prayed for.

    He reported that he’d found her alive and requested a CareFlight chopper from St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction — they needed an air evacuation immediately.

    For forty-five minutes, Gerhart stayed by her side until another rescuer arrived. “I expected someone in shock,” he later admitted. “But she was fully lucid — it was stunning.” Soon after, Danelle was airlifted to St. Mary’s, where family and friends waited with open arms.

    A Medical Miracle

    Hospital Room
    Image via Wikimedia Commons

    At St. Mary’s Hospital, Danelle spent six hours in surgery as doctors carefully pieced her shattered pelvis back together, bit by bit, like fragile glass.

    Her sacrum had crumbled. A metal plate now held the fragments in place, and a long screw secured the left side of her broken pelvis.

    She had lost an extraordinary amount of blood, her injuries severe beyond belief. “Most people with this kind of damage don’t live more than twenty-four hours,” doctors told her. But she had survived fifty-two — on a cold rock, in the middle of nowhere.

    A Tough Cookie

    Image via The Denver Post

    Speaking to the press, John Marshall couldn’t hide his respect. “I knew I was dealing with a really tough cookie,” he said, recalling her Primal Quest days.

    Only weeks earlier, two men had frozen near Moab — both better dressed, one at lower elevation than Danelle’s 4,800-foot perch. Her survival defied reason.

    Marshall said she wouldn’t have lasted another night. “This is why we do it,” he explained. “Rescues like this refuel us. We thank her for living.”

    The Road Back

    Image via Summit Daily

    Danelle spent several more weeks in the hospital, healing slowly but steadily. Her strength, the same that had saved her life, guided every painful step forward.

    “After leaving the hospital, I was in a wheelchair for three months,” she recalled. “Then came the walker, the crutches, and finally, a cane.”

    Five months after the fall, she lined up for an adventure race. She couldn’t run — not yet — but she walked every mile. And she won.

    A Life Reclaimed

    Image via Danelle Ballangee on Facebook

    Danelle not only survived — she came back stronger. She returned to racing and became the first woman to finish the 2013 Moab Triathlon.

    Now married, she’s raising two boys, Noah and William. Noah recently completed his first triathlon, proudly following in the footsteps of his remarkable, resilient mother.

    Together with her husband, Danelle runs Milt’s Stop & Eat, a ’50s-style diner in Moab. She now puts on an annual event there called the Moab Trail Marathon and Half Marathon.

    A Second Chance

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    Nearly ten years later, Danelle still carried the canyon with her. Time had passed, but the memory of that cold December day lingered.

    “I still think about it every day,” she told The Guardian in 2016. “I don’t run like I used to, and cold weather brings back bad memories.”

    “But I’m married with two kids, and Taz is still alive — we’ll always share a special bond. Realizing you have a second chance at life puts everything into perspective.”

    Against All Odds

    Image via Danelle Ballengee on Facebook

    Danelle Ballengee’s story is one of true survival — a testament to courage, endurance, and the unbreakable will to keep fighting when all hope seems lost.

    Through unimaginable pain and cold, she found strength deep within herself. And in her darkest hours, she was never truly alone — Taz never left her side.

    Their bond turned despair into deliverance. Today, Danelle’s life stands as a reminder of resilience, gratitude, and the quiet miracles that appear when love and loyalty refuse to give up.

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    Lara Blair

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