Most savvy people have some sort of disaster-preparedness measures in place in their lives, whether that be emergency kits in cars, tornado shelters, first aid training, or food and water stores in case the unimaginable happens.
While you may not always be able to predict what kind of disaster will strike next — man-made or natural — it never hurts to be prepared, especially for issues you know your area is prone to.
A couple in Sierra County, California, had to call for help recently when their efforts to wait out the snow in their remote cabin didn’t pan out.
Officer Jared Boothe of the CHP Valley Division said that the unnamed couple and their dog first got snowed in on Dec. 6, according to WTVD-TV.
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They appeared to have been fairly well-provisioned and managed to ride out the snow for almost two months.
As their supplies started to dwindle and the conditions didn’t improve, they made attempts to leave the property. While they were able to exit their cabin, when they tried to leave the area they encountered deep snow and fallen trees that made roads impassable.
Finally, on Tuesday, they made a call for help. They realized that without official assistance and with few supplies left, they were in trouble.
“On February 1, 2022, around 1030 hours, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call from a couple care-taking a property in northwestern Sierra County,” the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release.
“The couple stated they were stranded at the cabin due to significant snowfall and downed trees that resulted from the winter storm in December. They requested assistance from the sheriff’s office in getting out as they were running low on food.”
The California Highway Patrol sent a helicopter to pick up the couple and their pup, but there were high winds that made the landing more difficult.
“Yesterday afternoon, the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance with rescuing two trapped people,” the CHP — Valley Division Air Operations Facebook page shared. “CHP helicopter (H-20) was requested to assist due to the remote location and blocked roads. H-20 was able to land near the cabin, while very strong winds were blowing.
“The pair and their dog were flown in H-20 to a landing zone where Sierra County Deputies transported them to a safe location.”
Friends of the couple came to pick them up later.
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Many readers have been critical of the couple’s inability to rescue themselves, but others piped up in the comments section to say that the pair was an older couple. Some who identified themselves as being familiar with the area also said this year’s snow has been relentless since New Year’s, closing roads and making some back roads impassable.
Either way, it appears the couple did what they could to keep themselves safe, and thanks to their preparation they were able to call for help when they really needed it. Thanks to CHP, they lived to tell the story.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
