Here's One Way to Fail a YouTube Survival Contest

A woman participating in a YouTube outdoor survival contest ended up lost in a Michigan forest for nearly 18 hours. It's safe to say she failed the challenge. The 36-year-old California woman had left the contestants' base camp in Pigeon River State Forest around 5pm Friday to search for water but did not return, according to the Otsego County Sheriff's Office. The contest hosts conducted their own fruitless search before calling 911 around 5am Saturday, per MLive. The woman was found nearly six hours later after a search involving ground crews, canines, and a Michigan State Police helicopter.

The chopper located the woman in a swampy area around 10:40am. A video shows her waving amid trees and bushes that could've easily concealed her. She had no serious injuries and was able to walk out of the area on her own, guided by ground officers, police said. MSP Lieutenant Ashley Miller said the woman was among eight contestants taking part in a five-day survival challenge in the heavily forested area that is "very hard to navigate at times" and has "absolutely no cellular service," per WDIV. She said first responders were "very relieved" by the rescue and "very thankful there were no injuries as a result of this."