Sacramento, CA – As California sees its first flakes of the season, particularly along I-80 near Donner Pass, transportation officials are warning drivers to expect chain controls, icy mountain conditions, and dangerous travel this week. But imagine being trapped inside your car for two months, surviving only on handfuls of snow.
According to the Daily Mail, a 44-year-old Swedish man was discovered in February 2012 after surviving roughly 60 days snowed-in inside his car near the town of Umea in northern Sweden. Authorities said his vehicle became buried after a snowstorm on December 19, and he lived on snow alone as temperatures dropped to -30°C (-22°F).
Experts described his survival as “astonishing.” Some theorized his body entered a hibernation-like state, slowing his metabolism, while others credited the “igloo effect” of the snow-covered car, which trapped enough warmth to keep him alive.
When rescuers finally found him, he was emaciated and barely conscious, wrapped in a sleeping bag with only cigarettes and comic books beside him. Doctors at Umea University Hospital confirmed he was suffering from severe hypothermia and malnourishment—but somehow survived.
With early snow hitting the Sierra before Thanksgiving, California officials are urging drivers to carry winter emergency kits with blankets, food, and water when crossing mountain routes. As the Golden State heads into its first winter blast, one chilling question remains: Could you survive stuck on I-80 for two months like he did?
