this is "nightline." >> tonight, stranded. a wrong turn leaves a young woman lost in the desert. >> hopefully it doesn't take too long to be found. >> no cell service, no gas. her video diary capturing what she feared might be her final words. >> i just want to go home. >> the life or death decision that led to her rescue, and a tearful reunion. >> she goes, i thought you were hunting for me. i said, i was. in the wrong place. plus, the call of the lemur. deep in the rain forest of madagascar, we encounter the elusive lemur in its only natural habitat. >> this is amazing. >> how one crusading scientist is saving these leaping leaf eaters from the brink of

extinction. with reese witherspoon and nicole kidman at the helm it's no wonder "big little lies" is the number one show on tv. how intense did those physical scenes get? the inside scoop from the stars. first the "nightline 5." ♪ ♪ >> allergy muddlers, are you one sneeze away from being voted out of the carpool? try zyrtec. zyrtec starts working hard at hour one and works device as hard when you take it again the next day. stick with zyrtec. muddle no more. >> try allergy spray for powerful nasal allergy relief. >> number one in just 60 seconds.

good evening and thank you for joining us. i'm rebecca jarvis. it was a road trip gone horribly wrong. a young woman lost in the arizona desert for five days filming her struggle to survive on her cell phone right up until the moment she thought she would never see her loved ones again. tonight her account through dramatic footage and what she did right that saved her life. here's abc's matt gutman. >> i love my family. mom, dad, kalie. >> reporter: recording a good-bye video to loved ones. something no one expects they'll ever have to do. >> i just want to go home. i don't even want to do this trip anymore, i'm so scared. >> reporter: especially not 24-year-old amber van heck who just days before began a road trip that should have been the time of her life. but a series of mishaps instead brought her to the brink of death. three weeks ago the outdoorsy texas college student set out on

a 3,000-mile road trip to the grand canyon all alone. pretty courageous of you. >> i don't know if i'd call it courageous. it's more of a -- stubborn, probably. >> reporter: she had a couple of particular spots in mind. the havasu falls trailhead, a remote spot in the grand canyon, it has aqua blue plunge pools so popular it requires a reservation. that's the trailhead? >> yep. >> it's in the middle of nothing. >> yes. >> let's go. >> reporter: this week we returned with amber to this fateful spot. the place where, directed by her smartphone, amber turned off highway 64 and onto this dirt road. >> i trusted google maps which i shouldn't have. >> so we're barely a mile off the road. we're driving in empty space. check that out. nothing. >> reporter: as night falls on march 12th, amber says she drives another hour and a half deeper into the middle of nowhere. >> when i came to the fence and i was like, oh.

there wasn't a road here. that's when i was like, this is not good. that's when i tried going into the gps app and telling it to take me back. it was like, sorry, you have no internet service. >> reporter: for a brief moment she's able to get cell service and immediately calls 911. >> i was in such a panicked state. when they said, what is the nature of your emergency? i let out a sob and i said, please help me. and i heard it drop. and i just -- >> reporter: with no cell service for her google navigation app, amber is about to lose a second precious resource. >> i was trying to watch my gas. >> is that orange light blinking? >> it had been blinking. >> reporter: earlier that day she had stopped to gas up her ford edge and pumps only about one-third of a tank, hoping to save some money. how often do you think, if i just put $5, or just half a instead? >> every day. i could have spared myself a lot of grief. >> reporter: 119 hours of grief to be exact, which amber would

battle the triumvirate of no fuel, no cell service, no navigation. in the darkness, she parks alongside the first manmade structure she sees, hoping a sign of life will appear in the morning. she begins documenting her ordeal. >> hopefully it doesn't take too long to be found. >> reporter: she's actually stranded on one of the largest cattle ranches in arizona, run by gary wilson. >> it has happened to several other people trying to get across this ranch. google earth tells you that you can. but this ranch is actually closed. >> reporter: google did not respond to our requests for comment. a gps industry source previously told abc news it is important for drivers to keep in mind the gps devices are to be used as navigational aids only. it is the responsibility of drivers to exercise common sense." a cowboy usually patrols the area where amber is parked, but again, amber was out of luck. >> he was gone for about five days.

and that just happened to be the time that she was out here. >> reporter: back home, amber's dad, steven, tries calling her phone and pinging her on her gps app. there is no response. >> i snapped at my boss that day. because i was worried about her. >> reporter: but there are some encouraging signs. the occasional plane or helicopter overhead. >> the helicopter just flew by. i got out of my car and waved as frantically as i could. i guess up there it's hard to notice small things on the ground. >> reporter: amber does have some advantages in the wild. the former girl scout and injuring rotc is now putting to use all the survivor skills she's learned. using large rocks, she spells out the word "help" to be heen by aircraft above. she also makes a fire. >> i can't get anything here to burn black, it all burns gray or not at all. >> reporter: and luckily for her, she's brought plenty of food and water that she begins rationing meticulously.

>> three bottles a day should last me for at least a week and a half. >> reporter: it's now wednesday, march 15th. amber plans to stay put until help arrives. >> i'm out here for -- 63 hours now. >> reporter: back in texas, dad begins an active hunt for his daughter. >> i'd posted in the private facebook. i said, look, my daughter's missing. i need some people to try to find her. this is the last place i saw her. >> reporter: the problem, stephen references amber's last known location. in new mexico, where her app pinged him back on saturday. the next day, suddenly amber sees a vehicle approaching and she sprints into action. barefoot. >> i immediately jumped out of my car, tried to run after them, not thinking about my feet, not thinking about anything else. if this is where i get out, it doesn't matter. they didn't see me in their rear view. i'm okay.

>> reporter: as day four in the hot desert sun comes to a close, amber hits a low point. >> almost exactly 100 hours out here now. all i can keep thinking is how much i want my daddy. and my mom. i don't want to be alone anymore. >> at what point did you decide that you had to rescue yourself? >> by about the fourth day. i figured there should have been at least a search out. but i hadn't seen anything, heard anything. >> reporter: the next morning, amber takes a gigantic risk embarking on what she says would be an 11-mile desperate hike for a cell signal. it's amazing, you can see flagstaff mountains so clearly from here. >> that's exactly why i chose to walk that way, because flagstaff has cell towers on it. >> reporter: after dialing 911 over 70 times, at last a connection. >> i started crying. payi

saying, please help me. >> reporter: she tells the operator she's somewhere between havasu park and the highway that goes to the southern rim visitors center. >> she's like, in the grand canyon? no, ma'am, i'm in the desert, i've been here five days. i don't know what she was going to say because it was gone. >> reporter: just like that the call dropped. >> i was heartbroken in that moment. >> reporter: she doesn't know it -- >> we had a virtually unreadable 911 call, up known location, a woman who's panicking -- >> reporter: she provided just uh-uh to point arizona's department of public safety in the right direction. pilot joe than nivez and paramedic edgar vicenet retrace the route. they spot a glare, the top of amber's vehicle. then amber's sign for the sky. >> i look down, we see -- must have been 20, 30-foot letters, "help" written in rocks on the ground next to the car. this has exot got to be it. >> reporter: amber's not there but the rescue team doesn't give up hope because amber wisely had

left this message. >> it said, "i'm not here, i walked east along the road to find cell phone signal, if you're reading this sign, please help me." let's go. we loaded up. and continued down the road from there. >> then i heard a chopper again. and that's when i saw the speck getting bigger. >> i look, i see someone jumping up and down in the road waving at us. >> i was like -- they're coming for me. >> reporter: after five arduous days, amber van hecke is stranded no more. >> next thing you know i'm two feet from her. first thing that comes out of my mouth was, did you call? >> all i could answer was high, then ugly sobbing and holding on to him. >> reporter: the crew flies her straight to the hospital in flagstaff. >> i had said, you know what, you do everything right besides running out of gas. if i had to get lost, i wouldn't mind getting stranded with you, you know what you're doing. >> reporter: after getting treated for exposure and

dehydration, an emotional phone call to her dad. >> i said, i was worried sick. she said, i thought you were hunting for me. i said, i was -- in the wrong place. >> reporter: two weeks since her rescue, while still healing physically and emotionally, amber says she has no regrets. >> i did do right things even if i did make mistakes. if i can just share those things that i did right with everyone, if that saves even one life, it's worth it. >> reporter: for "nightline," i'm matt gutman in flagstaff, arizona. next, we're on the lookout for lemurs in the rain forest of madagascar. per roll more "doing chores for dad" per roll more "earning something you love" per roll bounty is more absorbent, so the roll can last 50% longer than the leading ordinary brand. so you get more "life" per roll.

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tonight we journey into the madagascar rain forest, coming face-to-face with lemurs, some of the most endangered primates on earth. we're guided by a woman who has dedicated her life to preventing the extinction of these exotic and beautiful creatures. against all odds she's actually having an impact. here's abc's alex marquardt. >> reporter: this is one of the richest rain forests on earth. in the heart of the island of madagascar. home to an extraordinary range of animals including tiny frogs -- >> >> this is full size? >> yeah. >> reporter: the biggest chameleon on the planet -- and its most famous residents, the lemurs. we spent days in this muggy forest trekking for miles to catch a glimpse of this unique and endangered creature. >> i found one. >> reporter: furry blurs flying from branch to branch, hanging upside down, munching on leaves,

taking a snooze in the embrace of a tree. madagascar is the only place on earth where lemurs can be found in the wild. they're also some of the lesser-known primates but that's quickly changing thanks to blockbuster movies like "madagascar." >> welcome, giant pansies! >> reporter: and a recent starring role in the stunning new bbc series "planet earth 2." >> obviously they're adorable. what do you think the mass appeal of the lemur is? >> it has sort of that appeal of a panda bear, but it's not so big. it's fluffy like a cat. they have a kind of zen attitude about life. and they're very relaxed. >> reporter: dr. patricia wright is an americmeramerican sunny brook and has dedicated her life to studying lemurs. against all odds she managed to convince the government of this island, where 90% of the land has been deforested, that it's worth protecting the rain forest and the animals in it. >> one of the poorest countries,

you a foreigner marching into these offices saying, stop chopping down the trees, which is the main source of income, in order to save this animal. they must have thought you were crazy. >> indeed. i tried to explain this animal is so special that people would come from all over the world to see it. >> reporter: in our first morning with her and the team of guides, an unexperience unlike any they've ever had. trekking through the 160 square mile park, scanning the treetops, looking for movement. we come across a cluster of three chifaka lemurs nestled in a tree. >> this is amazing, there are three of them together, a meter from us. >> reporter: we interrupted their post-lunch grooming session. too close for co apparently, as two scampered away. the third setting in for a nap. so regal, crossing his arms and legs like that, completely relaxed. in 30 years, dr. wright and the guides say this is the closest

they've gotten to these lemur in the wild. >> this is very, very rare. this is one of the hardest lemurs to find here. >> reporter: 15 of the more than 100 species of lemurs live here in this forest. many of them critically endangered, including the black and white ruffed lemur which hasn't been seen in months by the guides but has just been spotted, launching an hours-long pursuit. lots of very steep up and down. we're heading to where the trees are that these black and white ruff lemurs like to feed to and listening for their distinctive call. >> reporter: then -- [ lemurs calling ] there they were, leaping, hanging by tiny, powerful feet, scarfing down lunch. there are fewer than 1,000 of these lemurs in the wild. because of that aggressive call, it makes it very easy for hunters to find them. one of the main reasons dr. wright chose to study lemurs is their social system. in roving families the females are in charge. >> they decide where the whole

group goes, which fruit trees they're going to go in, and they go first and eat the best. >> reporter: these omnivores eat most anything including bamboo stalks, which are full of cyanide, easy enough to kill a person but no effect on the lemur. dr. wright's team is studying how they're able to digest such a powerful toxin. >> these golden bamboo lemurs like to hang out at the top of the canopy. they're easy to spot because you have the bits they don't want falling to the floor. >> reporter: at night -- >> we're cheating a bit and rubbing bananas on trees, that's like crack to mouse lemurs. >> reporter: the smallest primate in the world. >> how can you see anything? it's pitch black. >> see there? >> oh, yeah, there it is. sure enough, going straight for the banana. >> reporter: mouse lemurs are known to get the same diseases we do, alzheimer's, diabetes, and obesity, making them crucial to study. on this night the researchers are setting twr inting traps fo

lemur. the team has been monitoring the health and size of the forest's population. after a few hours they catch one. >> this is a dwarf lemur. >> reporter: measuring, tagging, naming it. >> you named it alex? >> yes. >> i'm honored. >> hey, alex, how you doing, buddy? look at you. look at those eyes. >> reporter: even after three decades in this forest, dr. wright shows all the enthusiasm of a tourist visiting for first time. >> the rain forest is an amazing place. even though i've been here 30 years, i still don't know exactly what's going to happen when i go out there. >> reporter: in protecting this area she's been able to bring back a number of lemur species from the brink of extinction. teaching a new generation of locals to treasure what they have and preserving the only place on earth to study these animals in their natural habitat. for "nightline" i'm alex marquardt, madagascar.

next, the big truth about "big little lies." did those domestic violence scenes sometimes get too brutal for nicole kidman? [car engine failing to start] [clicking of ignition] uh-- wha-- woof! eeh-- woof! wuh-- [silence] [engine roars to life] [dog howls] ♪ dramatic opera music swells from radio ♪ [howling continues] before we hit the beach, i'we can't stay here!o. why? terrible toilet paper! i'll never get clean! way ahead of you, big daddy. aww charmin ultra strong.

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finally tonight, a peek inside one of the biggest little shows on television. it's one of the hottest shows of 2017. "big little lies," the latest miniseries from hbo coming to a close this weekend. inspired by the novel by liane moriarty, a star-studded cast headlined by reese witherspoon and nicole kidman. set in monterey, california, the show wrestles with the difficult topic of domestic violence. the abusive relationship between celeste and perry wright, playe skarsgard, often coming to the forefront of the show's plot. skarsgard commented on the fragile climate on set when shooting those scenes in an article with "vanity fair." "it was very important to reconnect after shooting those scenes.

we made a point of checking in with each other, giving each other a hug." while the two actors have a strong relationship, kidman speaking to "vulture" highlighted how those brutally uncomfortable scenes affected her personally. after we shot some really, really violent scenes, i was in a lot of pain myself. it was very uncomfortable. it wasn't a good feeling, i have to say." kidman and skarsgard will reprize their roles as celeste and perry one last time this sunday. can't wait to see how it all turns out. thank you for watching abc news. as always we are online at abcnews.com and