'I learned my lesson,' says Watson Lake woman after rescue

Jeanicia Moskaluksays she'll be more careful from now on about setting off alone in the Yukon bush, after she spent 24 miserable and frightening hours trying to find her way home.

"I learned my lesson," she said on Monday, threedays after RCMP found her. "I wouldn't go somewhere that I'm not too certain."

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Moskalukdecided to take her daughter's dog Lucky for a walk on Thursday evening, around Wye Lake. When she got to the end of the boardwalk, she became disoriented.

Moskaluk is diabetic and has poor eyesight. She has trouble remembering some details about what happened.

"Icould see other tracks all overthe place, but I don't know which ones to follow," she recalled.

She carried on,butsoon discovered that she was lost.

The area was boggy and it was rough going. Moskaluk says she fell into a swamp at one point, but she can't remember exactly how she got out.

She does remember being cold and wet, and swarmed by mosquitoes and blackflies. She alsoremembers that Lucky stayed with her as she desperately searched for safety.

"I would call him and he would come straight to me," she said. "Each time I fell down, the dog would just lie down next to me..

"I was just scared and I just kept yelling and yelling for help,until I heard a dog barking and I said, 'There's hope.'"

The barking was from Crash, an RCMP dog used by searchers. He had tracked Moskaluk'sscent with a shoe that she had lost and someone had found earlier.

Crash appeared, quickly followed by his handler, RCMP Cpl. Cam Long, and another searcher. They gave Moskaluk some food and drink and warmed her up with a fire before guiding her back to safety.

Lucky to have Lucky

Moskaluksays she's still tired and recovering from the frightening ordeal. She's not sure she could have endured a secondnight of cold and bugs.

Watson LakeRCMP Sgt. Cam Lockwoodsays she was lucky to have Lucky.

"Some dogs will not stay with their owner, and other dogs will not leave the owner's side.

"In this case, the dog sat right with herand did not leave her. And the dog was actually laying with her and keeping her warm."

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