Indiana man survives in the Colorado wilderness for 3 days

[rambone]

Bet he wished he had a Bug Out Bag, lol.

Chesterton man survives ordeal in Colorado forest

Wants to use his experience to improve navigational technology


Jason Pede said he always tells his children not to leave stuff in his car, especially cans and bottles of liquid that could freeze and explode.

But the 31-year-old Chesteron man is grateful his kids didn't listen this time.

They left a bottle of water under the arm rest of his Lincoln Navigator before he embarked on a trip across country last week. That bottle of water and a couple cans of Mountain Dew helped him survive after he was trapped in the vehicle for three days and two nights in the Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado.

Until about a year ago, Pede worked escorting oversized loads across country -- driving the car with blinking lights ahead or behind an oversized load on a semitrailer. When the economy went south, so did that job.

So Pede went to work making deliveries. On his latest trip, he was carrying some chairs from California to Kansas and a rescued Australian shepherd to Aspen, Colo.

On the trip to Aspen, Pede said his GPS gave one set of directions and his laptop gave him another set that would have saved him 100 miles on the trip. He stopped and talked to a local resident about the directions and the person confirmed the roads were good to take the short cut.

Still a little hesitant because the same technology had sent him on wild goose chases at least five times before, Pede ventured out. As he drove through the Rio Grande National Forest, the paved road turned into dirt. The snow became deep. He tried to turn around, but the Navigator ended up off the road stranding him and the dog.

Pede drew on what he knew from watching survival shows on The Discovery Channel and those two Mountain Dews and bottle of water.

He stayed with the vehicle, burning the chairs that had been destined for Kansas, to help keep him warm. He turned on the SUV only during intervals at night to keep warm. He listened to the radio during those intervals to keep track of the days. The temperature dropped to 6 degrees at night.

When he used all the gasoline, Pede -- after putting on every item of clothing that would fit -- decided to set out the seven miles to find help. He left his family a goodbye note in the SUV in case he didn't make it. He walked for two hours in snow that was sometimes calf deep until he found help. Then he collapsed after getting assurance from officials they would go out and rescue the dog from the SUV.

"I drive 140,000 miles a year, so there's not much that scares me. I had some points where I freaked out and started crying. The dog freaked out. He's less than a year old and has been rescued twice," Pede said Tuesday talking from Colorado Springs, where he was reunited with his family Monday night and is getting some rest before driving back to Northwest Indiana.

Pede said one reason he didn't walk for help sooner was that he hoped someone would find him. He also was concerned about the animals that might be in the vicinity.

"They have animals out here we never thought of," he said, adding he asked someone after his rescue about the paw prints he saw on his vehicle. They were, he was told, mountain lion prints.

The days since returning to civilization Sunday have been a whirlwind. Local Colorado media jumped at the story, and he was featured in several television and newspaper reports. CBS flew his family -- wife Amanda and three children -- to meet him in Colorado Springs. After three hours of sleep Monday night, Pede gained national attention on "The Early Show." Calls from other media were still coming in Tuesday afternoon.

The attention, he said is perplexing.

"It's interesting, and I love how everyone is interested in it. But I don't understand it," he said. "I don't look at it as if it was such a bad deal."

Pede said he would like to turn his experience into something positive, possibly lobby technology companies to improve their navigational services to prevent people from getting wrong directions and caught like he did.

"People depend on this technology," he said.

And the other lesson he learned: "I'm going to keep myself on asphalt. If I hit dirt, I'm turning around."

 

[IndyMonkey]

I would find the person that gave me the bad info and kick them in the shins.

 

[longbarrel]

What is the deal about the two mountain dews and the bottle of water? If there is calf deep snow around there is plenty to drink?

 

[XDinmyXJ]

I would find the person that gave me the bad info and kick them in the shins.

I wouldn't drive a navigator in snow! My Jeep is the most built but it would sure make it a lot farther than a Navigator! Glad he made it out ok though. There was a couple not too long ago that did the same thing and were stuck for a few days. You know you don't always have to listen to the GPS. it automatically recalculates routes for you!

 

[Go Devil]

Ah, modern technology......

Short-Cut through a national forest??

1. Burn Lincoln Navigator.
2. Fashion weapons and snow shoes from chairs.
3. Eat dog.
4. Walk out.

That would make the 15 min of infamy last a bit longer.

 

[22lr]

Bug out bag????? Heck he had Mountain Dew, what more could he possible use. Mountain dew, middle of nowhere = epic win.

 

[Bubba]

I'm sure this is a harrowing ordeal if you aren't prepared for it but... was the driver handicapped in some way? I'm a fat, lazy child of the Nintendo generation but a seven mile hike in a national forest, even with moderate snow (sometimes calf deep!) sounds like a good day's workout. I bet the dog would've gotten a kick out of it too. What in the world would make a reasonably healthy person think waiting three days and burning his cargo is a superior option to walking seven miles? I see the reasons he gave in the article, I just can't understand them.

 

[kevinj110]

I'm sure this is a harrowing ordeal if you aren't prepared for it but... was the driver handicapped in some way? I'm a fat, lazy child of the Nintendo generation but a seven mile hike in a national forest, even with moderate snow (sometimes calf deep!) sounds like a good day's workout. I bet the dog would've gotten a kick out of it too. What in the world would make a reasonably healthy person think waiting three days and burning his cargo is a superior option to walking seven miles? I see the reasons he gave in the article, I just can't understand them.

I see what your saying but I can't imagine having to do it being tracked by a mountain lion. I wonder how far he go in the 2 hours.

 

[SD45]

Maybe it is just me...but after the first night I would get the hell out of there and walk it out while I still have the energy. After three days of sitting with no nutrients, the body get pretty depleted.

Another question is on all my GPS systems I can search for the closest restaurant, gas station, address, you name it...I wonder if he had this? Or a cell phone? I know it gets pretty remote out there.

As I sit in my warm house and talk about what I would do......

 

[Ashkelon]

I'm not so sure about this one.

3 days missing and burnt cargo? Stuck a Navigator with 16 inch rims in snow? Took a dirt road through a National Forest in the dead of winter? Nobody looked for him when he failed to show with the chairs or the dog? Family didn't report him missing when he failed to check in? Waited 3 days before backtracking 7 miles in the snow? Seriously?

 

[oldschoolmuscle]

i lived in wyoming for 2 years... and i drove around in bfe all the time.. when you see snow... you just turn around.... lol...

 

[tenring]

City boy in the country, 'nuff said.

 

[SemperFiUSMC]

He should have taken the dog with him. It would have kept the mountain lion away. If not, the lion would have killed and eaten the dog first.

Sounds like Darwin lost an opportunity. Hope he's wiser for it.

 

[techres]

The family mentioned above did not all make it. Dad struck out for a few mile walk and died. Family that stayed in the car survived and was rescued.

Just taking a walk in the wrong conditions is not necessarily the best choice.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

Lynn man wants others to learn from his mistake | thestarpress.com | The Star Press

Byron Prim didn't do that early Saturday morning. On his way home from Richmond after working 18 hours, Prim, 50, got stuck in a snowdrift near U.S. 27 and Randolph County Road 500-S. Less than two miles from home, he thought he could walk the rest of the way.

He thinks he left his car at about 1 a.m. If that's accurate, he wandered in the blinding snow for more than 90 minutes before he called 911. Before that he called a neighbor and asked that neighbor to turn on his outdoor lights, hoping they would guide him home.


"I just couldn't see a thing," Prim said Wednesday.


And that's when he knew he was in trouble. He called 911 and learned from dispatchers that mapping software traced his call to the middle of a cornfield.

Read more at the link.

One of our own Indiana boys learned this the hard way.

 

[longbow]

three days..........

 

[masterblaster-c]

Ah, modern technology......

Short-Cut through a national forest??

1. Burn Lincoln Navigator.
2. Fashion weapons and snow shoes from chairs.
3. Eat dog.
4. Walk out.

That would make the 15 min of infamy last a bit longer.

Hilarious!!!