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96 South Main Street, Nephi, Utah 84648 - Voice: 435 623-0525 - FAX: 435 623-4735 News for July 16, 2025 |
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By Myrna Trauntvein Michael Stowell was presented with a Citizens Commendation by Juab County Sheriff Douglas Anderson at county commission meeting on Monday. “On behalf of the Juab County Sheriff’s Office, I would like to commend you for your participation and efforts in a lifesaving and rescue mission that resulted in the location and rescue of Jennifer Sullivan who was believed to be missing and considered to be at risk on the Mt. Nebo Mountain,” said Anderson. “On Saturday of October 26. 2024 at 10:39 p.m., you contacted me by phone call and stated that you had encountered a woman you had met on the Mt. Nebo Mountain at approximately noon that day near the intersection of the Andrew Peak Trail and the Nebo Basin Trail,” said Anderson. She had asked for directions to the Mt. Nebo Peak Trail and said that she was hiking to the Monument towards the loop road, he said. “During the conversation, you observed that she did not appear to be well prepared with cold weather dress and supplies for the terrain or the current mountain elements,” said Anderson. “You gave her some water and encouraged her to consider the Basin Trail.” He said that Stowell informed Sullivan that he felt like she would not have enough time to be able to complete the Peak Trail and arrive at the monument before dark and that the Basin Trail is not as long and is less treacherous. “The two of you separated and you continued with your hunting until approximately 3 p.m. at which time you returned home. You emphasized to me that you were not able to get her off your mind and that you returned to t e Andrews Trail Head where you noticed a vehicle you believed to be hers was still parked in the parking lot at the Andrews Peak Trail Head,” said Anderson. He said that Stowell then drove to the North Nebo Trail Head, walked up the trail and commenced a search of his own. “It was at this location that you contacted me,” said Anderson. “In our conversation, you reasoned with me that, being October, the days and especially the mountain nights were extremely cold,” said Anderson. “You recounted how she was not prepared in terms of attire, supplies and insufficient time to complete her trek. We both felt she was in grave danger and immediate action was necessary.” A report was made for Sheriff’s deputies to investigate, the Juab Search and Rescue was activated, in addition to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter search team. Investigation, said Anderson, showed that the vehicle belonged to Jennifer Sullivan who was the hiker that Stowell had encountered on the mountain. “Ground and air searches were conducted into the night until around 4 a.m. and commenced again at 7 a.m..” said Anderson. “At approximately 8 a.m., Jennifer Sullivan was located by the Helicopter Search Team and was ultimately air lifted from extremely treacherous terrain.” He said that, once attending her, she was found to be in extremely critical medical condition. She was transported to Central Valley Hospital Emergency and, ultimately, to other critical care services. “But she is alive,” he said. “I would like to commend you, Mike, for your diligence as a citizen in considering needs and well being of others,” said Anderson. “Your contact to the Sheriff was driven first by your love and compassion for humanity but also by the astute observations that you made about her not being prepared and not having enough time for her journey. We thank you for your search efforts and for your call for help. The Sheriff’s office is completely confident that your actions saved Jennifer’s life. Thank you.” Anderson said he had reached out to Sullivan who had then written a thank you letter to Stowell. “As you may already know,” she wrote, “hiking Mt. Nebo was a very spiritually rooted experience. For personal reasons, Mt. Nebo was a trek that really frightened me and late last summer I felt a growing need to conquer that fear and hike to the highest summit.” She wanted to clarify that no self-harm was intended. She does look back on it as a sacred experience because of the complete and certain trust she had that she was not alone and was being watched over very carefully. She said that things did show up along the way and she spent time on the mountain praising God for sending Stowell and others. “Besides eating snow and drinking from a small stream,” wrote Sullivan, “you offered me the first real drink I’d had since starting my hike and that was an incredible feeling. I was grateful for your kindness in pointing out the right trail and even leading me to it. That was a much needed morale boost.” She said that she got lost but that was orchestrated because she had to hike off-trail to get to Stowell. Meeting him lead to her eventual rescue. “The fact that you felt concerned enough to check out the parking lot that night fills my heart with much gratitude. I can’t even find the words to express the relief I felt when I realized there were choppers out looking for me,” Sullivan said. “That was the longest, coldest night of my life to date and hearing the helicopters helped me to get through it.” “Thank you, Mike, from the bottom of my heart for not only offering water and directions but for listening to that voice inside you that literally saved my life,” she said. “Thank you for the kindness and encouragement you offered me that day. I know that I had angels, seen and unseen, watching over me and I consider you one of them.” “Because you listened, Bryan and our six kids have a wife and mother,” she said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Stowell said that, in his opinion, Anderson should get the thanks because it was his quick action that got the searchers and the helicopters quickly onsite. That was what saved Sullivan. Anderson said he would not have gone into action if Stowell had not alerted him to the situation. “I guess we will agree to disagree,” said Anderson. “You saved her life.
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