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Driving during the winter produces hazards that most mountain dwellers are used to such as snow, ice, and the threat of other drivers on the road. It is something that everyone who lives in cold climate areas accepts and takes the necessary precautions to ensure their safety while driving. One of the biggest fears for motorists is getting stranded in a snowstorm with no means of getting out. That is what exactly happened to a man in Oregon whose vehicle got stuck in the snow and he had no cell service to call for help.
The man, who has not been identified, used a DJI Mavic 3 drone to help rescuers locate and get his car out of the snow. It happened on a road that is not maintained in the winter in the Willamette National Forest. With no or very little cell phone service, the man attached his phone to the drone and launched it hundreds of feet in the air to get cell service. Before he launched the drone, the man typed a text message to a friend and told him of his situation and his location. Once the drone was high enough in the air, the phone was able to get service and send the text message.
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The Lane County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue in Oregon responded to the situation and was able to find and rescue him from the situation. The Search and Rescue teams praised the man for thinking outside the box and remaining calm during the situation. However, he did make the mistake of not telling anyone where he was going, and his family was out of the country at the time. “Regardless of the circumstances leading to his situation, once stranded this person made several smart decisions,” Lane County Sheriff Search and Rescue said in a statement.
The first thing the Lane Country Sheriff Search and Rescue said the man did that was important was that he stayed in his car. “Rarely does anyone in Oregon die from exposure waiting in their vehicle to be found and rescued,” the statement said. Leaving your vehicle is not a smart thing to do in this type of scenario and officials said that they have unfortunately seen many poor outcomes from those who chose to walk away.
It is important to think ahead while driving in bad conditions during the winter which could end up saving your life in these types of situations. Officials urge drivers always to tell a responsible person exactly where they are going and when they expect to be back. Officials also said that most rescue missions they conduct during winter involve bigger vehicles with four-wheel or all-wheel drive. All the drivers of those vehicles told rescuers they did not think they would get stuck.
Here are some tips from the National Weather Service for drivers who get stuck in the car during a winter storm:
If you must drive during a storm, take the following precautions:
- Slow down! Even if the roads just look wet they could still be slick. More than 5,000 fatalities occur on the roadways each year due to weather conditions.
- Make sure your vehicle is completely clear of ice or snow before starting the trip. Flying snow from cars causes accidents.
- Let someone know where you are going and what route you will take. If something happens, this person will know where to start a search.
- Don’t leave the house without the following a fully charged mobile phone, car charger, and an emergency supplies kit in your car.
- If you are driving and begin to skid, remain calm, ease your foot off the gas, and turn your wheels in the direction you want the front of the car to go. If you have an anti-lock braking system (ABS), apply steady pressure to the brake pedal. Never pump the brakes on an ABS-equipped vehicle.
- If you are having trouble seeing due to weather conditions, pull over to the side of the road and stop your car until visibility improves. Turn off your lights and use your parking break when stopped so that another car won’t mistakenly follow your tail/brake lights and end up hitting you.
If your car gets stuck during a storm:
- Stay in the vehicle!
- If you leave your vehicle, you will become disoriented quickly in wind-driven snow and cold.
- Run the motor for about 10 minutes each hour for heat.
- While running the motor, open the window a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Clear snow from the exhaust pipe to avoid gas poisoning.
- Be visible to rescuers.
- Turn on the dome light at night when running the engine.
- Tie a bright-colored cloth, preferably red, to your antenna or door.
- After snow stops falling, raise the hood to indicate you need help.
The famous quote by Benjamin Franklin says “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This hits home for people who have ever been stranded in their car in a snowstorm. Taking necessary steps to ensure the safety of yourself and others in your vehicle can be the difference between life and death. The question rescuers want drivers to keep in mind is, “Instead of asking yourself whether you think you can get through a section of road, ask yourself what will happen if you do get stuck?”
