What was meant to be a peaceful camping trip in the Arizona wilderness turned into a nightmare after 32-year-old Janelle Banda mysteriously disappeared late one evening.
She’d been staying with her dad, David, at a remote campsite in Coconino County, Arizona, when she walked off alone around 10.30 pm on 13 June—and didn’t return.
With rugged terrain, steep canyons, and dangerous wildlife in the area, her sudden disappearance sparked a desperate search effort and growing panic among family and friends. Janelle was last seen wearing dark joggers and a white jumper, and with every hour that passed, concern for her safety only deepened.
One of her closest mates, Alex Hernandez, took to Facebook with an emotional plea. “Please do everything in your power to help find her and bring her back safely,” they wrote. “Those who are not in the area, please pray for her. Please—all I want is my best friend back.”
In a remarkable twist, just hours after that post went up, came the news everyone had been hoping for—Janelle had been found alive.
Rescuers with the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office tracked her down near the bottom of Bear Sign Canyon, three days after she went missing. Though she had sustained some injuries, the extent hasn’t been fully confirmed. Still, it was the best possible outcome, given the circumstances.
Janelle’s sister, Sarah, told Fox10 Phoenix the family had been hanging on by a thread, but never gave up hope.
“We were like, wherever she is, we will find her,” she said. “Truly, you’re thinking, how do I go about life without my sister? But now that she’s here, I get to appreciate every moment that I have with her even more so than ever before.”
Sarah also shared that their dad had managed to speak to Janelle shortly after she was rescued. “She’s saying that she just wants to see her family,” she said, adding another emotional layer to what has been a heart-wrenching few days.
Janelle, a former Arizona State University student, had been staying at a spot known as the Edge of the World, not far from Sedona—a popular but rugged location surrounded by forest and canyons. It’s still unclear what prompted her to walk off alone or what exactly happened during the three days she was missing.
The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on 16 June that she had been located safe and alive. “An updated media release is forthcoming,” they said. “This is all the information we have at this time.”
Despite the unanswered questions, one thing is clear—Janelle’s safe return has brought immense relief to everyone involved.