Dianne Matheny and her dog, Sampson, were veteran hikers.
Newcomers to Allen County, the duo moved to Moran last fall and have since traversed the Lehigh Portland Trails many times, and frequently ventured to other hillier hiking spots in the region.
Such was the case on April 8, when Matheny and Sampson headed for Elk River Hiking Trail in rural Montgomery County.
Matheny recalled she was uneasy when she and Matheny set out on the trail.
A grass fire was giving local firefighters fits, so much so that smoke was prevalent along the 15-mile trail, which follows the wooded and rocky bluffs along Elk City Lake.
She called 911 to report the fire and was told firefighters were already in the area. When she spotted flames dangerously close to the trail, she called again.
“All it’s gonna take is a strong gust of wind and this whole forest is gonna go up in flames,” she thought. But because their destination appeared to be clear of smoke, and more importantly flames, they were eager to keep going.
But the smoke continued to thicken.
“We figured we’d go back and find another trail to go on,” she said.
She figured they’d been heading back 10 or 15 minutes or so, when conditions worsened.
To complicate matters, Matheny and Sampson had somehow unknowingly left the trail.
“The smoke was thick, my eyes were burning and there was ash everywhere,” Matheny recalled.
In an instant, confusion turned to fear.
Matheny called 911 a third time, alerting the dispatcher to her dilemma.
She was directed to stay on the line and find a safe space — the water from the reservoir below, which was within a short walking distance.
Sampson, who had earlier stepped on a burning ember, remained alongside Matheny until they were yards from the water, when he abruptly ran off to the left.
She yelled for him to return, but he didn’t.
“I thought, well, he must be OK,” Matheny said. “He’s just going down to the water a different way, so didn’t worry about it too much.”
