UT: Man injured while hunting crawls 11 hours to get help with his dog by his side

https://www.wlox.com/2025/07/31/man-injured-while-hunting-crawls-11-hours-get-help-with-his-dog-by-his-side/?fbclid=IwY2xjawL4r2NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHs62WP3rFj-JVoqAC52q0PQp1Ujnirx1XJDHFpAeydpT5bxIYnL0YNy7aDDi_aem_lYi8bDZXRD8CRWQWr6upDA

07/31/2025

While hunting with his dog, a Utah man was in a side-by-side accident that left him with serious injuries, but he was able to crawl to safety with the help of his loyal companion.

Jacob Schmitt has been hunting all his life with his dog, Buddy, by his side. The two were in a side-by-side vehicle July 20, looking for deer in the Uinta Mountains, when Schmitt realized the trail they were on was unstable. The side-by-side started to tip then rolled off a cliff, according to a GoFundMe set up for Schmitt.

“The machine flipped probably 15, 20 times. Probably the second or third flip is when it kind of rag-dolled me out,” Schmitt said.

The crash left Schmitt with a broken leg, fractured ankles and broken ribs. Thankfully, Buddy, who had been in a kennel in the back of the side-by-side, was unharmed.

“When I came to and started to do damage control, he was sort of just there, staring at me, without a scratch, which almost makes me emotional, but it’s unreal,” Schmitt said.

During the fall, Schmitt lost his phone and radio, but he decided not to look for them. Instead, realizing they were losing daylight, he splinted his own leg, and with nothing but a light on Buddy’s collar to guide him, he made the decision to crawl down the mountain.

“At some point, you just go, ‘Well, am I just supposed to lay here and die? I gotta get myself out,’” he said.

It was a grueling 11-hour process, but Buddy never left his owner’s side.

“The thing that loves you unconditionally is just there, and he keeps checking on you. It’s the biggest spirit jump,” Schmitt said. “I had my best friend to crawl out with me, essentially, so it was unreal.”

By daybreak, Schmitt finally made it back to his truck and drove to Oakley Diner, where he saw Yenni Saiz working outside. She called 911 and waited until the paramedics came.

“He was like, ‘Can you call 911 please?’ And my heart kind of dropped,” Saiz said. “I knew something was bad because of the scratches, and I could just tell he was in pain.”

Schmitt was taken to the hospital, where he stayed for four days. During that time, the fire department took care of Buddy.

The pair are now back home after a reunion that was “nothing short of moving – a powerful moment of loyalty, love, and survival,” according to GoFundMe.

Despite everything, Schmitt is ready to hunt again and has some advice for others.

“Learn how to do everything with nothing,” he said. “Self-rescue, figure out how to do that. Otherwise, I’d still be laying there.”

As of Wednesday, the GoFundMe started to help Schmitt with medical and other expenses during his recovery had raised nearly $15,000 of its $24,000 goal.