Snow captivity and a blizzard test for the Stolp family (10 photos)

With the arrival of winter, many people look forward to snow. And for some, it can turn into a threat and a trap.





In the winter of 1992, the young Stolp family, 22-year-old Jim and Jennifer from Northern California, were preparing for Christmas. This holiday was especially joyful thanks to the addition: six months ago, the couple became the parents of a wonderful boy, Clayton, for the first time.



Pillar Family

Plans were changed by a phone call: Jim was informed that his grandmother had passed away. The young man could not help but say goodbye to her and decided to go to Pocatello. But due to heavy snowfall, some roads were blocked. The guy decided to follow the map, although the road was long (about 1600 kilometers) and passed through difficult mountainous sections of Nevada.

His wife decided to support him and insisted that she and the baby would go with him. Relatives tried to dissuade the young family from a reckless act, especially since on the day of departure a storm warning was announced on the radio. But the Pillars remained adamant.





The couple did not arrive at the appointed time. The relatives were not particularly worried, deciding that the couple remained at the hotel. But they did not appear either the next day or on the day of the funeral. Jim's stepfather contacted the police.

The disappearance of a family with an infant was covered in the press, and volunteers joined the search. People believed in a Christmas miracle and called the makeshift headquarters with information about the missing.



Who at that time were fighting for their lives. And this is not a figure of speech, but a cruel reality. Due to the road closure, they took an alternative route. Visibility was worsened by the onset of a snow storm. As a result, the car got stuck in a snowdrift, from which it was impossible to get out on its own.

The situation was complicated by the fact that the car ended up on the territory of a nature reserve, which was closed for the winter. That is, there was no hope of meeting someone here and asking for help.



As well as food. The couple set off lightly, taking with them only a thermos of coffee and a light snack. They try to dig up the car, but it turns out to be a completely futile job. Instead of a handful of thrown snow, the wind throws two new ones on the car.

Jenn and Jim decided to spend the night in the car. The next day the situation did not improve. A woman is breastfeeding little Clayton. But the meager food supplies ran out. And Jennifer herself began to weaken.



The couple decides to walk to the highway. Leaving a touching note for his family in the car:

If you are reading this, we are no longer alive, don’t be sad, we tried our best to survive, but God decided otherwise. Cremate my body and bury Jim next to his grandfather.



Still from the film "Lost in the Snow"

The Pillar did not have particularly warm clothes with him. But by luck, there were dry cleaning items in the trunk. People put them on, wrapped cellophane around the bodies, wrapped the boy in a fur envelope, a sleeping bag, and insulated him with a clothing cover on top.

After a few hours they began to weaken. 12 hours later, when we reached the hill, we realized that there was no question of any highway: an endless snowy desert spread out around us. The guys just initially chose the wrong direction.

Jim discovered a small cave and left his wife and child in it, fearing that she would simply fall exhausted into a snowdrift, and he would be unable to do anything.



Jim walked for several days, losing track of time and completely exhausted. After all, he understood that the lives of two close and completely weakened people depended only on him.

Jennifer's milk has gone missing. She melted snow in her mouth and fed the baby like a bird, praying to the angels to save the child’s life. By that time, Jim had reached the road and saw a sign: the nearest city was a little more than 80 kilometers away.



Still from the film "Lost in the Snow"

And then a miracle happened: a load appeared on the roadovik. The driver stopped when he saw the guy waving his arms desperately. Jeff Pittersen took Jim to his home and contacted the police and rescue workers.

When Jennifer heard the loud sound of the equipment, she thought it was another hallucination. The woman fell into oblivion several times. The only thing that kept her from falling asleep and not waking up was the thought of her son.

A bulldozer was approaching the cave. The mother and child, who luckily had only mild dehydration, were taken to the hospital where Jim was waiting for them. Clayton recovered surprisingly quickly. And the parents had to have their toes removed. But this was a meager price to pay for life.



Still from the film "Lost in the Snow"

A year later, the film “Lost in the Snows: The Story of Jim and Jennifer Stolpa” was released. Director Christian Duguay was able to vividly and convincingly convey a dramatic story with a happy ending about the 9-day ordeal of a family left alone with the elements.