An old man lived on croissants, candy and biscotti for about a week in his car, stuck in a snowdrift on a deserted highway in California.
Jerry Gorrett, 81, set out from his mountain home in Big Pine, California, on Feb. 24 to head home to his family in Gardnerville, Nevada — just over a three-hour drive in good driving conditions.
According to his grandson Christian, Jouret thought he could weather the impending blizzard. was wrong.
While driving, Gorey accidentally swerved into a smaller road and his SUV got stuck near Gilbert Pass, he told CNN.
Temperatures in the region dropped from the mid-30s into the teens overnight.
The mathematician and former NASA employee was unprepared for the weather, his grandson said, wearing only a light windbreaker. “She’s so young,” Christian added. “He doesn’t have a lot of meat on his bones.”
The only thing Jouret had to keep him warm, he said, was a soft comforter and a hotel bath towel.
Described by his grandson as “a very smart man”, Jory stayed with his car, saved his car’s fuel and battery, and ran the SUV periodically to keep warm.
Nearly 3 feet of snow fell during the series of storms that hit the state throughout the week. Many areas of California experienced large amounts of snow – an unusual occurrence for a country unaccustomed to harsh winters. Days of extreme conditions have knocked out power to thousands of homes, buried roads in snow, and left many people, like Jorit, stranded.
Juri survived by eating the few snacks he had in his car. From time to time, he would open his window to eat snow.
Jorit’s car battery died in the middle of the third day, his grandson said, rolling up the electric window. It remained a few centimeters open for the duration of her unfortunate adventure.
On February 28, the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received “a phone call from a missing person,” the office said in a Facebook post.
Inyo County search and rescue teams scheduled search missions for the next day, but had to delay due to safety concerns from the winter storm, according to a letter from the sheriff’s office.
Then, on March 2, a cell phone ping set by the California Highway Patrol team helped narrow the search area and once weather permitted helicopter crews were deployed.
As one of the teams was heading to refuel the plane, the pilot spotted something that he initially thought was a large boulder. Looking closer, a car revealed – and the driver saw an arm waving from the small hole in the car window.
Within a short time, the sheriff’s office said police identified a vehicle partially buried in snow. “The CHP team loaded the person onto the plane and flew him directly to Bishop Airport for transfer to medical care… The patient was discharged from the hospital later that evening.”
His grandson said that Gauri was in the hospital for a few hours and showed no signs of hypothermia. “The nurses were in shock at the quality of his vital signs,” said young Jouret.
After leaving the hospital, Jorit returns home to Big Pine. He then has to catch a bus back to his wife’s house in Gardnerville because the couple’s SUV is still stuck in the snow.
Jorit said he is recovering well, but said he is still traumatized by the ordeal.
Christian Jouret hopes his grandfather’s miraculous rescue will serve as a warning to others about how dangerous winter travel can be, especially when they’re not used to it.
Above all, Christian said, “If someone gets stuck, don’t lose hope.” Some of us thought it was deadly. Never lose hope. The human body is amazing for what it can take. »
Inyo County Search and Rescue reminded drivers to prepare for winter conditions.
“If it is snowing, make sure you are prepared, do not avoid road closures, bring extra supplies with you. Or do not travel at all and wait for the roads and weather to clear,” the organization posted on Facebook. job.
