Ann Rodgers, the 72-year-old woman who spent 9 days lost on the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona. Photo from Gila County Sheriff's Office / Facebook

Tribal, local and state authorities in Arizona rescued an elderly woman on Saturday after she had spent 9 days wandering the Fort Apache Reservation.

According to news reports, 72-year-old Ann Rodgers was last seen by a game and fish officer for the White Mountain Apache Tribe on March 31. She had asked for directions to a gas station in the community known as Cibecue but somehow got lost.

Rodgers spent the next 9 days staying alive. According to news reports, she ran out of food and water after about three days so she had to forage the reservation for sustenance.

"I was eating desert plants. My dog was too, diving into clover and finding all the places that were the easiest path for me to take," Rogers told CBS News.

A break came on Saturday when a tribal game and fish officer spotted the dog, The Arizona Republic reported. An aerial search eventually led rescue crews to Rodgers, who had spelled out "HELP" in sticks and rocks in an attempt to attract attention.

A view of Cibuque, a community on the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona. Photo by Phillip Capper / Flickr

“If she didn’t do her part, we might still be out there looking for her,” Johnny Holmes, a detective with the tribal game and fish agency, told the paper.

Rodgers did not suffer any injuries and was in good condition when she was rescued, according to the Gila County Sheriff's Office. She was reunited with her family on Saturday.

"Sheriff J. Adam Shepherd would like to thank the White Mountain Apache Rangers, Gila County Search and Rescue, Tonto Rim Search and Rescue, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety for their coordinating efforts in conducting this operation," the office said in a press release.

The Fort Apache Reservation covers 1.68 million acres. Much of the terrain is forest land so it can be easy for people who aren't familiar with the territory to become lost.

The last major incident involving the disappearance of a non-Indian on the reservation was in June 2002 when Valinda Jo Elliott ran out of gas and started a fire in hopes of getting attention. Her actions contributed to the Rodeo–Chediski Fire, which at the time was the worst forest fire in Arizona's history.

Get the Story:
72-year-old Tucson woman, dog survived 9 days in Arizona wilderness (The Arizona Republic 4/13)
The wondrous survival of a 72-year-old woman and her dog, lost 9 days in the Western wilderness (The Washington Post 4/13)
72-year-old on how her dog helped her survive 9 days in Ariz. wilderness (CBS News 4/13)
Arizona woman and her dog survive 9 days lost in the wilderness (CBS News 4/12)