Swede survives 'two months' inside snowed-in car

[News_Editor]

Swede survives 'two months' inside snowed-in car

2012-02-19 22:09:20 GMT+7 (ICT)

UMEÅ, SWEDEN (BNO NEWS) -- Emergency services in northern Sweden have rescued a man who claimed to have survived with no food for nearly two months in his snowed-in car, local media reported on Sunday. He is in a critical condition.

The Västerbottens-Kuriren newspaper reported that the 45-year-old man, whose identity has not been released, was rescued near the town of Umeå on Friday after several snowmobilers saw the vehicle and noticed someone inside. The man was found in a sleeping bag on the back seat.

Umeå police officer Ebbe Nyberg told the newspaper that the man claimed to have been snowed-in on a remote road in a forest since December 19. "[He said] he had not eaten anything other than snow during that time. He was very skinny and in a poor condition," Nyberg told the newspaper.

Police said the victim has no relatives and had not been reported missing, but officials said they have no reason to doubt his story. The man's vehicle was found at the dead end of a remote road which had not been plowed at any point during the winter. There were also no footprints near the vehicle.

The Västerbottens-Kuriren newspaper said the victim is hospitalized at the intensive care unit of Umeå University Hospital but is doing well under the circumstances. "The man was probably in a kind of torpor, and therefore survived," physician Stefan Branth told Vasterbottens-Kuriren. "It is much like a bear in hibernation. Humans have some of these abilities."

Branth said a person can survive without food for a few months, but without water for only a few days. "There are no studies on how long a person can do it, and I know no one who survived this long. But it all depends on the circumstances," Branth told the newspaper. "He probably had a body temperature of around 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit), which the body adjusted to. The low temperature means that not much energy was used up. Then the body ate from its own depots in the form of fat, muscle and protein."

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-02-19

[hyperdimension]

So he didn't have a mobile telephone?

[Mosha]

So he didn't have a mobile telephone?

Could have been somewhere with no signal. I live in such a place, and only got one incase I'm in the car, and a problem develops where I need to talk to my wife.

[Payboy]

So he didn't have a mobile telephone?

Probably had a Phony Ericsson.

[kurnell]

A very dubious story

[Kripe]

No one was searching for him in two months? - if he could be seen in the car why didn't he come out?

[HerbalEd]

A very dubious story

Yeah. You found him out from way afar but the police who were right there were fooled.

[pointoffew]

Curious why this story hits Thai Visa....

[Smee]

So he didn't have a mobile telephone?

Probably had a Phony Ericsson.

Now that IS funny!

[stormstereo]

Picture. http://www.sydsvenskan.se/sverige/article1609634/Undret-med-den-insnoade-mannen.html

[pointoffew]

Picture. http://www.sydsvensk...ade-mannen.html

"...he had not eaten anything other than snow"

Judging from the photos, there was plenty of 'food' left for another few months.

[rotary]

All thats snows well ends well

[CHANGOVER]

Potato and turnip survive longer I'm told.

Edited February 20, 2012 by CHANGOVER