Columbia, SC – With first frosts on the horizon across South Carolina, forecasters say cooler air will settle in this week, pushing overnight lows near freezing in parts of the Upstate and Midlands. 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 described his survival as “astonishing.” Some believe 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 suffered from severe hypothermia and malnourishment—but survived.
As South Carolina’s first frosts begin forming across rural highways and river valleys, state emergency officials urge drivers to pack cold-weather kits with blankets, snacks, and water. Even short exposure to freezing temperatures can become dangerous if stranded. As the Palmetto State feels its first taste of winter chill, one question remains: Could you survive stuck in freezing conditions like he did?
