Jason Pede was rescued Sunday morning after his vehicle ran out of gas and he walked seven miles to a road, signaling for help with a flashlight.
Pede was driving from Dulce, N.M., to the Colorado resort town of Aspen to deliver an Australian Shepherd rescue dog when he got stuck.
Pede, of Chesterton, Ind., says a “local” told him about a shortcut to Aspen and that’s how he became stranded somewhere in the Rio Grande National Forest in snow that went above the hood of his Lincoln Navigator.
He was lucky.
How many things can you find in this very brief article that this young man did wrong?
#1 is probably taking a ’shortcut’ that was unfamiliar to him. (Shades of James Kim.)
You can pick up the rest, I’m sure.
5 responses so far ↓
1 john // Feb 9, 2010 at 4:14 am
NO WATER
No food
No blankets
No shovel
No camping gear
RELYING ON GOD TO PROTECT FOOLS AND DRUNKS
Here’s a guy who put all his faith in god and died of starvation nine weeks later. It turned out that if he’d stopped praying and simply looked around the corner from where his truck was stalled he would have found clear pavement and a way out.
” The 56-year-old salesman from Montana got stuck driving in the same snowy southwestern Oregon area on November 14, 1994. He sat in the cab of his pickup for nine weeks, checking off each day on a calendar and writing letters to his family and his boss. The last date marked on the calendar was January 19, 1995. Some teenagers whose vehicle got stuck discovered his body May 20, nearly four months to the day after he is believed to have died of starvation.
Finley was around the corner from clear pavement that would have led him about 16 miles down the mountain to safety, the Associated Press reported. “
2 Beprepared // Feb 9, 2010 at 7:58 am
James Kim, IIRC, got faulty GPS info. A case of those “GPS roads that aren’t really there.”
If this man had a rescue dog, was he part of a rescue service? If so, he should have known better. If the snow is over my bumper I’m not driving through it, never mind damn near my hood.
According to the Wiki articles, “Because of Mr. Kim’s background as a technology analyst, observers speculated that the family had used online mapping to find their route.[16] However, Mrs. Kim told state police that they had used a paper road map,[17] an account supported by the Oregon State Police, which reported that the Kims had used an official State of Oregon highway map.”
3 Sam // Feb 9, 2010 at 8:38 am
I always knew Mountain Dew had life saving qualities! Just kidding. This guy did so many things wrong……I don’t even know where to begin. This horrible story really deserves a novel or maybe a tv mini series.
4 theotherryan // Feb 9, 2010 at 11:00 am
I like taking little winding back roads. Knowing 5 ways to get somewhere when there are only 2 paved roads is sort of cool and a bit practical also. If you are smart enough to top off the gas tank first and keep a few basic supplies and a a gun with you the risk is negligible, except when there is (or is reasonably going to be) harsh winter conditions like snow.
During the spring, fall or summer you can just turn around or drive until you find a connection to where you need to go. Having gear to sleep comfortably should you get totally lost in the dark or stuck is probably wise but not absolutely essential. Being hungry and a bit uncomfortable sleeping in the car never killed anybody. I have done it before for other reasons.
During the winter however if you get stuck in an isolated area there is a notable possibility you will die. A winter sleeping bag, a couple gallons of water and a few MRE’s will keep you alive for awhile but what if help doesn’t come? What if you break your leg walking out and get eaten by ravenous squirrels?
During the winter stick to the boring, well maintained and trafficked routes. To the best of my knowledge nobody every got stuck for 3 weeks and eventually starved/ froze to death on I-90.
5 accutrax // Feb 9, 2010 at 12:30 pm
It is very easy to be prepared for winter driving.
Take in your vehicle;
Extra blankets. A snow suit. Winter boots. Winter gloves. A few candles. A lighter. Several packages of twizzlers licorice. Soft Drinks. A thermos of coffee, or warm whatever.
A Walmart Cell phone. Walmart because theirs have more access to various cell towers.
For a hundred bucks or less you can be safe.
That is for when you HAVE to travel.
Otherwise, if the weather is really horrible, just stay home and play with “Mama”.
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