81-Year-Old Survives Nearly A Week Trapped On Snowy California Road
California has been hit hard recently with unusual winter weather and snow storms. I live on the California coast and we hardly ever see snow here (not even a dusting), but this year we were bombarded with several inches to the point where I could hardly even leave my driveway!
Other areas of the state were hit even harder, with several feet of snow pouring down. When we think of areas in the United States with the most snow, we often imagine places like Michigan or New York – few people would think of California, but Fox Weather reports some areas saw 10 to 12 feet of snow in just seven days.
With the unusual winter storms and heavy snow, emergency resources have been stretched thin. People have become trapped in their homes, on roads, and in the wilderness.
Getting caught in a storm unprepared can be disastrous and even deadly. Thankfully, search and rescue crews are hard at work to keep everyone as safe as possible and a senior citizen named Jerry Jouret has his life thanks to their efforts.
According to a press release shared on Facebook by the Inyo County Sheriff’s Office, Jouret left Big Pine, California on February 24 to drive the 3 hours over to Gardnerville, Nevada via Highway 168. He was hoping to beat the storm, but instead he got caught in it!
Per the press release, the Inyo County Search and Rescue (InyoSAR) received a callout for a missing person on February 28, days after Jouret was last heard from on the 24th.
Due to the severe weather, search and rescue personnel weren’t able to respond to the call for help and begin searching for Jouret until March 2.
With the use of 8 SAR ground members and an ariel crew, a vehicle partially covered in snow was discovered near Death Valley National Park.
The Facebook post explained, “When the crew made their way closer for inspection, a window was lowered and a person began waving from inside the vehicle.”
Despite spending nearly a week trapped in his car in the snowstorm, Jouret was transported to a hospital for a medical evaluation and released that same night.
According to CNN, Jouret was ill-prepared for the winter weather and was wearing only a light windbreaker.
The 81-year-old man used his witts to stay alive and kept close to his car, conserving the battery and gas to occasionally get warm. The battery died on the third day, leaving Jouret in freezing cold temperatures with no way to keep warm. He did have some snacks to nibble on and also ate some snow to survive.
