08/19/2025
Jake Schmitt, a Utah hunting guide, set out into the Uintah Mountains on July 20 to scout for mule deer. But after his UTV rolled up to 20 times down a steep incline, he was left with devastating injuries: broken leg, ankles, ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and no gear except his dog, Buddy.
Before the crash, Schmitt had even stopped to free an elk calf from a trap, but minutes later, his side-by-side flipped, leaving him crushed and stranded. With no lights, no phone, no food, and miles of rugged terrain between him and safety, Schmitt had only duct tape and scraps from the wreck to splint his leg. Then came the crawl.
For 11 excruciating hours through darkness, creeks, and rocky mountain trails, Buddy never left his side. When Schmitt passed out, the German shorthaired pointer nudged him awake. When he needed light, Buddy’s LED collar gave him a faint glow to follow. When crossing creeks, Buddy let him rest his shattered leg across his back.
By sunrise, Schmitt had dragged himself five miles out of the mountains. He made it to town and the hospital, where doctors put a rod and screws in his leg and over 100 staples to close his wounds.
Now recovering, Schmitt credits Buddy with saving his life:
“Everyone wants to give up when it’s excruciating, but he’d come over and make me feel good enough to get right back up.”
Schmitt still plans to guide hunts this fall, and Buddy, his hero, is promised T-bone steaks for life.
