72-year-old survives 9 days in the Arizona desert

A grandmother is alive today because she led rescuers right to her after spending nine days lost in the Arizona desert.

Ann Rodgers had her dog Queenie but not much else - no food, no water, no cell service.

"I knew how much my family and friends and those who knew me well were feeling about the fact that I had been missing for so long," Rodgers said.

The 72-year-old had to rely on her mind. She came up with using desert items to create a sign.

She remembered what she read over the years about others who survived by eating plants and drinking pond water.

"The ground searchers found my note. 'Help, I need it now,'" Rodgers recalled.

Her ingenuity and instinct finally paid off. A helicopter swooped in and Rodgers was healthy enough to walk herself to her rescuers.

"Age does not necessarily mean inability. It can mean wisdom," she said.

Wisdom enough for a grandma to live to tell the tale of the day she showed rescuers how to find her.