Police say an Arizona man is lucky after an off-road crash left him trapped in his vehicle for three days.
He may never have been found in the remote mountain location if a sightseeing couple had not stopped to take photos, authorities told The Associated Press Saturday.
Jerome Police Chief Allen Muma says the 50-year-old man's SUV was spotted Friday afternoon by the couple, as they pulled over to do some sightseeing on Mingus Mountain, about 10 miles south of Jerome. After spotting signs of a vehicle in the overgrowth, the couple looked closer and saw a man inside. The couple called 911.
The area where the car was found was off a dirt Forest Service road with mesquite trees, bushes and brush between 6 and 10 feet tall.
It took multiple rescue crews more than an hour to get to the man and extricate him using a Jaws of Life apparatus, according to Muma. The rescue was complicated because the roof of the man's SUV had caved in.
The man was conscious and provided paramedics information.
Emergency responders believe his car rolled down the mountain three days earlier.
The man was airlifted to the hospital where he was admitted in critical condition, but was listed in stable condition Saturday, according to Yavapai County Sheriff's spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn.
A deputy found the man's cellphone outside of the car, but authorities don't know if the man had access to food or water during his ordeal.
The man had not been reported missing because the man claims he has no family. Authorities recommend letting someone know your travel plans, especially when driving in the mountains.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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