Snowstorm survivor tale

[balzaccom]

We saw this story in the Sierra Sun new outlet. Pretty interesting story about how Wendell Murdock stayed alive in the wilderness overnight during a blizzard. It also got our attention that Mr. Murdock is 80 years old and has a nine year-old son. And his preparation for his hike included a few clothing items we would have done differently. And his use of a brand new GPS app on his phone for navigation apparently didn't help him much...

https://www.sierrasun.com/news/local/this-could-be-it-local-man-recalls-surviving-harrowing-night-lost-near-lake-tahoe/

 

[Titans]

Thank you for sharing. He is lucky to be alive.
In my experience phones are almost useless in cold winter weather, unless you keep the phone protected and very warm somehow. The batteries cannot handle cold weather and everything shuts down (that's separate from the GPS app issue that he had).

 

[Rockskipper]

He's 80 and he's still a practicing dentist? And he was able to walk back and forth all night? He looks more like 60.

 

[wsp_scott]

Wow, lucky to be alive.
I think his biggest mistake was relying on GPS when it sounds like he did not know how to use it. On mine, I could lay a track and then follow it back to my car without too much problem if there are no cliffs to fall off even if it was a blizzard.