Seven Days Lost in Icy Wilderness
Kathy Newman and Boe
Minnesota Search and Rescue Dog Association
Edited from The National Enquirer
Submitted by:
William Barnhill
Jason went for a stroll in the woods looking for a little solitude -
and stumbled into a seven-day nightmare that nearly cost him his
life. Jason, a 29-year-old medical student, lost his way while
hiking in the vast Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in
Minnesota's rugged north country. For a full agonizing week, he
endured arctic-like cold, a blizzard, a wind and ice storm, and
gnawing hunger. His only shelter was a cramped space in a huge
rotted tree trunk he hollowed out with his bare hands.
Tuesday: Jason's battle with nature began when he set out for what
was supposed to be a three-day hike. Before he left, he made a lucky
decision - he gave his parents a map of his planned trip and
instructions that if he wasn't back in three days, they should
"call the sheriff." From that point, his adventure headed
downhill. On the trail, Jason took a wrong turn and got lost.
"I stumbled into a bog, carrying a heavy full pack."
Summoning all his strength, he trudged through the soupy, icy-cold
bog until it gave way to some dry land where he pitched his
tent.
Wednesday: He decided to search for the main trail - leaving almost
all his supplies behind at the tent. "I took some crackers,
cocoa mix, a can of tuna, two Tootsie Rolls, a Swiss army knife and
a small whistle," said Jason. After searching for two hours, he
found no sign of the trail. He headed back to his base camp --and
got lost again! "Things soon got worse. I walked into another
bog and almost went under. My boots and feet were soaked. I had no
shelter - and it was only an hour before dark.
"Fortunately, I spotted a large dead pine tree. The trunk was
still intact, but the inside was filled with rotted wood. I
started grabbing chunks of this rot, working as fast as I
could to beat the dark, to carve out a hole. "By
nightfall, I could crawl inside - and it saved my life.
"A raging storm woke me in the middle of the night. "The
wind was howling, thrashing the treetops, and all around me I
heard the thunder of trees crashing. "It was cold, painful, and
terrifying - I knew if one of those trees fell on my log it would
kill me.
Thursday: "There was snow everywhere, more than 10 inches, and
all kinds of fallen trees. My feet were still wet, and I'd
lost the feeling in them from the cold. "The snow lasted
all day as I lay shivering in my log.
Friday: "More snow. I was ready to give up. Then a plane flew
overhead! "I scrambled out of my tree, danced around, screamed
and blew my whistle. But the forest was too dense for the rescuers
to spot me.
Saturday: "I finished my crackers. Despite my thirst, I was
afraid to eat snow, fearing the cold might plunge me into deadly
hypothermia. "Then just before dark, I made what could have
been a fatal error - I ate the tuna. My heart began pounding, and I
was panting for breath. "The salt in the tuna had made my
dehydration worse! I crammed handfuls of snow into my mouth as
fast as I could.
Sunday: "I was losing hope. I got my pen and pulled some
bark off a couple of birch trees and began writing goodbye
letters to my parents. I still hadn't finished them when night
fell.
Monday: "It was so cold I couldn't start writing again. I
didn't stopshivering for a second. The only thing that kept me going
was my determination to finish my goodbye letters.
Tuesday: "I was convinced it was all over - I'd finish my
letters and die. I didn't think things could get any worse, but that
night they did. "I was asleep in the tree log. I woke and heard
something hitting the top of the log - it was pouring!" A
shivering Jason was getting drenched - and it was so bitterly cold
that the water quickly turned to ice.
Wednesday: "All I could do was jump up and down and rub my legs
furiously, trying to get some heat into them." Once again - on
the seventh day of his ordeal - Jason's hopes were shattered when a
rescue plane failed to spot him. Then suddenly he heard barking
dogs. "Then I heard a voice shouting for me like an angel from
heaven. 'Helloooo,' I yelled. 'I need help. I'm lost.' "Minutes
later, I saw red jackets coming toward me. I have never seen
anything so wonderful in my life as that search party. They got me
out on ATVs, and a chopper flew me to the hospital." Jason was
treated for frostbite and was soon on his way to recovery.
"Will I go hiking again? Absolutely!" he insists.
"But I'll never again go alone!" Said Mark Haskins, the
first rescuer to reach Jason: "We were pretty sure we'd be
bringing home a body. We were all amazed. Jason kept his wits about
him - he's quite a guy!"
William Barnhill
K-9
Specialty Search Associates
