Mountain Rescue: A True Story of Unexpected Mercies and Deliverance

by Shelli Owen, Mary Owen Grimm (Contributor), Bruce Owen (Contributor)

During spring break in March 2013, Mary Owen, a twenty-three-year-old student at George Fox University, went missing.
She was an avid adventurer and outdoor enthusiast who had previously hiked the 2653-mile-long Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
This is a story of the agony one mistake can precipitate—a portrayal of blunder, peril, and reckoning on a hazardous mountain at a dangerous time of year. It includes obsession, the allure of the outdoors, intense longing for adventure, entrapment in the wild, and Providential survival. It is an unforgettable glimpse of community prayer, faith, and hope, also of days of silence turned into song and resurrection.
Many people wanted to know the whole story. The book includes Mary's account, her parents’ perspectives, along with a collage of contributions from other people who became part of the story as it unfolded in real time.
*The Expanded Edition included four extra chapters and color photographs.

338 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2021

About the author

Shelli began writing in earnest when the last of her five children graduated from home school high school. She is herself a 2020 graduate of George Fox University, with an interdisciplinary degree in biblical studies and art and a minor in writing.

Besides writing and encouraging other writers, Shelli is a Bible student and artist. Other favorite pastimes are reading, researching, and writing, and spending time in creation. This is where you may find her hiking in the woods, walking on a beach, biking, stargazing, camping, picnicking, or exploring natural parks. She also enjoys hosting friends from far and near and treasures time spent with her husband, adult children, grandchildren, and extended family.

She, with her beloved (husband), has lived in Europe and several places in the USA. They currently live in the Pacific Northwest. They are parents to five adult children and Nana and Papa to five grandchildren.

To see Shelli's projects or follow her blogs, visit her author website at: https://www.wordsintime.net/

Reviews

[Deana Skelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In know way did reading this book influence my review: but, I actually went to school with the subjects father, Bruce Owen. For those readers who doubt the validity of this book….I’ve known him since 3rd grade. We attended elementary school in San Jose, CA together, and all the way up through high school.
Bruce is a man as big with the hugest heart and deeply committed to his family and personal relationship with God. He is the most honest person I know besides my own husband and children.
I personally was glued to the unfolding horrendous situation happening with his daughter, as it unraveled on Facebook and then our local news station covered it as it grabbed national attention.
This miraculous story is absolutely real and it ended in thee most wonderfully inspiring way. I am, and still, am truly happy for how blessed Bruce’s entire family is with the outcome and how it could have easily went the other way.
His wife, Shelli, has written a most excellent recollection of this glorious moment that graced their family. Thank goodness May survived! xoxo
I cannot imagine losing a child. Ever.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lived through the disappearance of Mary through social media, when my dear friend Shelli began sending out pleas for information regarding her missing daughter. I sat glued to my computer as the story unfolded and when she was miraculously found I cried and rejoiced with everyone involved. This is an incredidible survival story and it was very, very real. Mary did everything completely wrong and yet she still survived five days injured on Mt Hood. Only God could have orchestrated this recovery and my life was affected by the Owen families willingness to share the entire ordeal; the good, the bad, and the ugly. Many lives have been affected and valuable lessons learned through Mary’s experience! Please read about this miraculous survival story and how our Lord carried her through her entire ordeal.

[Doug Addington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I KNOW this TRUE and ACCURATE story is an absolute miracle and was written in total gratitude and glory to God.
I know because I am a very close personal friend of this family and went through this tragedy turned miracle with them albeit from afar. Read this wonderful story and marvel at the absolutely brave and wonderful people who gave their all risking so much to find Mary and watch God's hand at work through many others. God is good!

[Nancy Heins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book! It was a thorough and engaging telling of an amazing story. There has been a review on another website that said this story can't be true. It is very definitely true and is proven by the many articles, interviews, and news reports both at the time of the story and since then. Not only that, I know the authors and they are some of the most genuine and honest people I know. They endured a harrowing experience and came out victorious only by the grace and mercy of God. The details and many facets of this event are covered so very well in this story, and I highly recommend this book.

[Hannah Kolehmainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting, gut-wrenching, white-knuckling read. Absolutely glorious account, beautifully told. Prepare to say, "Wow!" a lot.

[Orion Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

A testimony of God's goodness and protection

The true story of Mary, as she attempted to summit Mount Hood, and ended up in an impossible situation. Through the prayers of many people, she had peace and was found and rescued by helicopter.

[Karie Berry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful, inspiring, nail-biting story! So many around Mary who care...And how connected we all are!! No one is alone with God. I was taken there on the lonely mountain with Mary, as she held onto thin threads of hope and did all she could to stay alive! She taught me so much about being prepared, even if it's just a "quick hike"....that those little thoughts can save our lives--and our prior experiences. Thank goodness she had her prior trail experiences to draw on, as well as courage! And her faith. This book is well worth the read!!

[McKaylee Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book of faith and tender mercies. I was reminded how fragile life is and how much we take for granted. He is always so good to us and reaches out to us when we do!

[Jeff McInnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of God's great care, provision, and mercy. This book is a journey from fear to faith to exhilaration. Highly recommend it!

[Urailak · Rating 5 out of 5]

"God is good. So good," said Mary Owen. I completely agree with her. God's goodness never ceases to amaze me. We are so undeserving, yet He is so loving, forgiving, and giving. My family and I first met the Owen family when our daughter took a speech/debate workshop with them in Newberg, Oregon. They are a lovely Christian family. We got to know Shelli, Bruce, Jessika, Mary, Ruth, and Elijah a little bit. We have never met Rachel (their other daughter). When we heard about Mary missing on Mount Hood, we prayed urgently for her to be found alive and for her family. When we heard that she was rescued, we were overjoyed and thanked God for this marvelous miracle. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was curious to find out about all the details and backgrounds concerning this awesome story of God's merciful intervention, provision and protection...

Shelli is a gifted storyteller/writer; she effectively puts her daughter's personal trauma and family's heart-wrenching trial into words that express raw emotion, real struggle, and radiant appreciation for God's unfailing love, goodness, and faithfulness. I love the fact that she also includes the gospel message, pointing people to Jesus, our Ultimate Rescuer.

I highly recommend this candid, riveting, and inspiring book to all. Mountain Rescue is a real-life, against-all-odds story that honors & magnifies God while reminding us of the value of life, wisdom, prudence, faith, prayer, surrender, hope, the Body of Christ, community service, and compass (a physical one and spiritually speaking, God's Word as our compass in life). As I was reading the book, I thought of the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life." Our decision and action do affect others; this is one of the lessons that Mary learned from her near-death experience. Each life is a precious gift from God. I hope this book will help readers examine their own lives and commit their lives to Jesus. Then and only then they will find the true meaning of life.

[Elena Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sigh. The author warned me this would be a nonstop christian babbling book but I still like to read about rescues so I gave it a go.
The hiker, Mary, is so unbelievably reckless and horribly selfish! She goes off on a dangerous hike totally unprepared and tells nobody. She lies to her father that she would not climb Mt. Hood in Oregon. She leaves really late in the day with basically no supplies, food, and no beacon.
When her friends and family become alarmed after not hearing from her, enormous resources are used to find her. Remarkable she was found alive 6 days later, which her mother/family decide godsaved her. However, the mother also mentions a friend who drowned. God did not save the friend but, uh, I guess there is some reason God did that. BTW, god didn't save 6 million Jews during the holocaust but that was because they didn't believe in jesus, so we are supposed to believe that god is our father but he let children and adults suffer in the most horrific way possible. But god is our father?
There are about ten paragraphs about Mary's selfish act and the rest is just nonstop religious proselytizing. I'm not a christian but don't understand why you have to beg god to save your reckless daughter, god is the father but he lets all these bad things happen to his children???
Anyway, she did warn me in the preface. They do look like a lovely family.
Then I read reckless mary is now a missionary in pago pago or somewhere. I hate missionaries, shoving their religion down the throat of impoverished people in exchange for food etc. MYOB.
Sigh. AT least it was ree to read.

[Cheri McGaffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent the last 3 days completely immersed in this book. I've had the book for several months but haven't read it because I knew what a hard and emotional roller coaster it would be to read it. I was right and I bawled through the entire first 3/4ths of the book. I'm talking cried my makeup completely off bawling! It was so well written. Bravo, Shelli for a job well done! I could tell how much heart and soul she put into that book. I can only imagine how utterly taxing that must have been for all involved to put into words your different experiences and perspectives. It was a powerful and moving book. The kind you can't stop thinking about even while you're not reading it and after you've finished it. I can see it being made into a movie someday! I liked the different perspectives from Shelli, Bruce, Mary and the other Owen siblings. I also really liked all of the perfectly chosen quotes for each chapter. That in and of itself would've taken a lot of time and research. I also liked reading the different Facebook posts and emails from family and friends (and that it included how they knew Mary). Its simply amazing how many literal miracles there were in Mary's story! And I liked how much was shared about Gods love and how he's always with us even when we don't always feel like he is there. I also liked how humble and sincere Mary's apologies were and for the lessons she learned from her ordeal. Thanks for sharing your gift of writing with the world, Shelli! It was a book so needed for our time!

[Annika Klanderud · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those stories that is so hard to believe. But I know it happened because I was there--watching it on the news--at the time. What I know for sure is that it is a testimony to God's goodness.