Woman who survived five days in Olympic National Forest released from hospital

After surviving five days in the Olympic National Forest — including during a storm that blew through last week — 30-year-old Amanda Sampson from Queets was released from the hospital Saturday.

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Sampson and one of her cousins had gone mushroom picking Friday, Nov. 12. As KIRO 7 TV reports, a huge storm converged on top of them, and they were caught off guard.

The following Monday, Nov. 15, after three nights of sleeping on the ground, the cousin told KIRO 7 TV that she went to find help. Sampson had sprained her ankle and couldn’t walk.

Once the cousin made it to a house on Greenwood Road, the homeowner connected her with emergency officials and the search for Sampson began. Sampson was eventually found inside a tree stump last Wednesday, about 20 miles north of Aberdeen.

Sampson’s aunt, Jean Ramos, told KIRO Radio that her niece is developmentally disabled, so she did not think to drink water from a stream or creek when she was alone. Ramos believes Sampson did not eat anything either, and said she had an upset stomach most of the time.

“She fell on her knees and her knees were swollen. She said she kept falling on her knees because of her ankle. It makes me sad to think what she went through out there, but she made it,” Ramos said.

KIRO 7 TV reports that roughly 12 agencies from five different counties, along with nearly 100 volunteers from the Quinault Indian Nation scoured the woods in search of Sampson last week.

“They wouldn’t give up,” her aunt said.

Ramos says the tree stump that Sampson crawled into likely protected her from the rain and weather, but may have also blocked infrared tracking devices from locating her sooner. Finally, on Wednesday, a family member yelling Amanda’s name heard Sampson saying, “help me, auntie,” in a faint voice.

When they found her, she was hypothermic and Ramos says her arms and legs were “completely useless,” but she could talk. She was also sick to her stomach from a lack of food.

“She was basically totally weak,” Ramos said about Sampson’s state just one hour after she arrived at the hospital. “She could only open one eye. Her lips were swollen. Her throat was sore — she said she vomited a lot because she was so hungry.”

“The worst was the heartburn. I said, well, that’s what kept you alive, all your blood going to your organs. Now [she’s] just got to get the use of her extremities back,” Ramos added.

As of Friday, Sampson was able to stand, and is getting physical therapy. She was released from the hospital on Saturday. Ramos says Sampson is a 30-year-old woman in good shape, and described her as strong and healthy, which she thinks is likely why she survived so long in the cold, wet weather.

KIRO Radio’s Diane Duthweiler contributed to this report.