Milwaukee, WI – As Wisconsin braces for the first snow of the season, particularly along I-94, officials are urging drivers to prepare for icy commutes and below-freezing temperatures. 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 car became buried after a snowstorm on December 19, and he lived on snow alone as temperatures plunged to -30°C (-22°F).
Experts called his survival “extraordinary.” Some suggested 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 sustain him.
When rescuers reached 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 alive against all odds.
With early snow arriving before Thanksgiving, Wisconsin emergency officials remind residents to carry cold-weather kits in their vehicles, including blankets, snacks, and water. As the Badger State heads into winter, one chilling question remains: Could you survive stuck on I-94 for two months like he did?
