Portland, OR – As Oregon braces for the first snow of the season, especially along I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge, officials are warning drivers to prepare for slick conditions and gusty winds. 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 plunged to -30°C (-22°F).
Experts called his survival “unbelievable.” 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 reached him, he was emaciated and barely conscious, wrapped in a sleeping bag with only cigarettes and comic books nearby. Doctors at Umea University Hospital confirmed he was suffering from severe hypothermia and malnourishment—but miraculously survived.
With early snow arriving before Thanksgiving, Oregon emergency officials are urging drivers to pack cold-weather kits that include blankets, food, and water in their vehicles. As the Beaver State faces its first wave of winter weather, one chilling question remains: Could you survive stuck on I-84 for two months like he did?
