“I’m just out looking for deer and exploring the land,” explained Doyle Moss, a local outfitter who frequents the Toroweap area, “and I see a county vehicle come up. I asked them what they were out there for, and they said two guys were supposed to have arrived in Mesquite a day ago, and were last seen traveling in this area, so I said I’d keep an eye out for them.” Moss describes the area as “rugged, four-wheel drive territory, that you really have to know what you’re doing to navigate safely. It was 85, 90 degrees out there - not many people are going to make it out there very long at those temperatures, especially not more elderly folks.
“I spotted this old broken-down Dodge,” Moss recounted, “along with two huge looks of relief on these two gentlemen’s faces. They called emergency services on my satellite phone, we were able to stop the Sheriff’s office’s search and let them know they’d been found. These two guys called their wives and let them know they were okay. I gave them water, loaded them up, and after calling around a few towing companies we found one willing to go get their truck. I took them back to my place, they visited with their families a bit and they went on their way.”
According to Moss, the two travelers had been stranded at that spot for almost 24 hours, since about 2 p.m. the day before. He credits their survival to their good sense in telling someone to expect them at a certain place and time, and their willingness to stay put near their vehicle and not attempt to wander their way out of their rough situation.
“Got to be prepared, let people know where you’re going to be and when,” said Moss. “I’m glad they stayed by their vehicle. I tell you, I was real glad when I saw that truck that I saw two living humans running around and not … well, I wasn’t really ready for the other option … I’m glad they’re safe. Seeing the looks on their family’s faces when they saw them safe and sound, it was like looking at kids on Christmas.”
The individual who reported the lead on the story said of the incident, “With all the deaths this time of year because of the extreme heat, it’s nice to see one with a happy ending, and it’s nice to see people still stopping to help each other.” Moss finished his recounting of the event with, “I don’t really want credit, I don’t need to be called a hero. It was the right thing to do.” Moss agreed to recount this story to the paper for the sake of the cautionary tale it provides, hoping that in the telling it would prevent the same thing from happening to other individuals in similar circumstances.
