For some, the appeal of extreme sports goes beyond pushing their bodies and minds to the limit. People want to test the boundaries of reality… and see just how far they can go. One college was about to learn the dangers of exploring North America’s most perilous landscape…
Thrillseeker
Amelia Milling was a 21-year-old Tennessee native attending college at the Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York. She was always seeking the next thrill. About five years prior, she had discovered a love for hiking. Amelia spent all her free time in the great outdoors, hiking along trails to build her endurance.
Bright Spirit
Amelia’s adventurous spirit was no secret, and her mother had always warned her to stay vigilant, be careful, and take note of her surroundings. “She doesn’t let her deafness slow her down, nor should she,” Amelia’s mother said. The more her daughter’s confidence grew, Amelia challenged herself to venture outside her comfort zone…
Trying Something New
Over the previous summer, Amelia left New York to travel out west, camping in the national parks along the coasts of California and Washington. This time, she set her sights on somewhere she had never been before.
Saying Goodbye
Once the school year drew to a close, Amelia practiced hiking the Appalachian Trail with her father in Virginia to prepare her for what was to come. When June arrived, Amelia said goodbye and left for Anchorage, Alaska, where she was supposed to meet a friend…
Concerned Mother
Amelia’s mother, Sharon, was concerned about the trip. It was farther from home than Amelia had ever been. To soothe her worries, Amelia agreed to take an emergy device that was capable of sending out a signal if she was in danger on the trip…
Ready to Go
Without another thought, Amelia boarded the plane to Anchorage. She was more than ready for her three-day solo hike through Crowe Pass. However, Amelia, who was used to a warmer climate, had forgotten one crucial thing.
Things Were Looking Up
Amelia had hiked along the 20-mile trail in Appalachia to prepare for Alaska. When she arrived, she even navigated a few trails on her own to make sure her skills were up to par. She decided she was finally ready to embark on Crowe Pass. At first, it was going well…
More Difficult Than It Seemed
“I’m a Southerner, so I wasn’t thinking about snow,” she said. It was the last thing on her mind. As the day progressed, Amelia quickly realized she was out of her depth. The snow made the trail much harder than she had anticipated. She set up camp for the night, debating the best course of action…
A Bold Choice
On the second day of the hike, Amelia packed up camp and decided it would be best if she left the mountain trail. In order to do so, she had to descend the mountainside.
Feeling Brave
Amelia geared up to descend the snow-covered mountainside into the Eagle Valley River. She had trained for this. Unfortunately, one can only prepare for so much…
The Fall
Amelia was halfway down the mountain when her trekking poles snapped. She lost control and was suddenly free-falling 300 feet in a matter of seconds.
It Could All Be Over
She hit a boulder and was launched into the air. “I felt like I was flying,” she said. When Amelia hit the ground, she slid another 400 feet down the snowy mountainside…
Not On Her Own
Finally, Amelia came to a halt 700 feet away from where she had been just one minute earlier. Although she was in shock, she was miraculously still alive. Amelia glanced around to see where she had landed…which is when she discovered that she wasn’t alone.
Unknown Visitor
Amelia squinted. In the distance, she could make out the form of what she thought was a wolf. Disoriented from her fall, Amelia stayed where she was as the animal approached her…
Friendly Face
She soon realized the wolf wasn’t a wolf at all, but a white Husky dog, who had come running to her side when he saw she was in danger. “Then I saw the little collar… it said [the dog] was a Crow Pass guide, and I realized he was there to help me.”
Round Two
The dog’s collar said its name was Nanook. Amelia hadn’t been seriously injured in the fall; she was able to stand up and follow Nanook, who guided her back to the trail… but that wasn’t the end of Amelia’s struggle.
Let’s Get Moving
Nanook slept outside Amelia’s tent after she set up camp for the night. By the time she awoke, he was still there. “When I opened the tent, he was ready to go,” she said. “He was just right there and that helped me have some motivation to keep going.”
She Wanted to Go Home
It was the third day of the hike and all Amelia wanted was to get home after her accident the previous day. Nanook brought Amelia to Eagle River, where he tried to guide her across. Amelia was nervous, but she took a step forward…
Close Call
Amelia’s foot slipped on the snowy terrain and she fell into the deep river. She tried to stay afloat in the rapid current, which began to drag her down. That’s when Nanook jumped into the river, grabbed ahold of her backpack strap, and dragged her to shore.
Getting Colder
Amelia was stunned. She had managed to survive the fall on her own, but without Nanook, she surely would have drowned. She quickly changed into dry clothes and got inside her sleeping bag to warm up. It was no use…
The Danger Zone
Amelia was shivering uncontrollably. Her hands and feet were turning blue. She realized she was becoming hypothermic. There was only one thing left she could do…
Calling for Help
When Amelia hit the emergency locator, her mother was back in Tennesse. She saw that her daughter had activated the SOS button and immediately felt her stomach sink. What had happened to Amelia?
Terrified
“The feeling was sheer terror,” Sharon said. “I did not know if she had fallen and broken something and couldn’t get out of the water. I didn’t know how deep the water was. I didn’t know if she had drowned and this was her pack floating.” Sharon couldn’t help but assume the worst had happened to her daughter, who was alone and in desperate need of help.
Time Went By
Hours passed, and Amelia felt herself slipping in and out of consciousness. She struggled to stay awake, but her body was slowly shutting down. Nanook sat patiently by her side, doing what he could to keep her company while she waited for help to arrive.
Her Daughter’s Fate
Almost three hours after her daughter had pressed the emergency locator button, Sharon was contacted by rescuers. Her heart was pounding as they told her what had happened.
Lost and Found
Amelia was found along the riverbank, freezing cold and covered in bruises but still alive. Nanook was licking her face to help keep her conscious.
Getting Her to Safety
Amelia was then airlifted to the nearest hospital. In the helicopter, she explained to the rescuers how Nanook had kept her alive. Once they had gotten the young woman to safety, Alaska State Trooper Lt. Eric Olsen returned Nanook to his owner, only to learn some surprising information…
Not the First Time
Scott Swift, Nanook’s owner, revealed that this wasn’t his dog’s first rescue. According to Swift, Nanook likes to go on adventures with hikers. “He’s been doing it for years now,” said Swift. “This is the second time I’ve heard of he has saved someone from drowning in that river.” Lt. Olsen was shocked.
Hero
The first time, Nanook pulled a drowning 6-year-old out of the river just before she was swept away by the current. “He’s Alaska version of Lassie,” said Lt. Olsen. Swift insisted Nanook just “does [the rescuing] on his own.”
Grateful
Amelia believes the dog is a guardian angel. “I told him several times that I love him and I’ll never forget him,” she said. Amelia has no idea what she would have done without her canine friend. The State Troopers were also thankful for Nanook, who had helped them out on several prior occasions…
A Change of Fate
The heroic dog had helped to retrieve the bodies of a woman and child who had drowned, as well as the body of a hiker that had been mauled by a bear. “It was nice to get someone out alive and well,” Lt. Olsen said. Amelia undoubtedly agrees.