Against All Odds, Woman Survives 4 Days in California Mountains

For four days from January 3 to January 7, a woman survived being trapped in her car in the California wilderness. The woman was driving on Mount Baldy Road in the mountains close to Mt. Baldy Resort, overlooking Los Angeles, when she swerved to avoid hitting a deer. She ended up falling approximately 200 feet down the mountain and was trapped inside her Ford Ranger pickup truck. Her location meant she could not be seen or heard from the road.

Fortunately for her, the area is a popular spot for hiking and skiing, and a fisherman passing by heard her calling for help and was able to contact the U.S. Forest Service for assistance. Over the four days, the woman survived below-freezing temperatures and several rain systems that moved over the area, all while being pinned in the driver’s seat unable to move, making her survival miraculous.

Fate would have it that the U.S Forest Service was responding to another incident when the hiker was able to flag them down and lead them to the woman. The truck was totaled and lying on its side, but the rescuers were able to extricate the woman through the windshield.

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The woman had moderate injuries and was flown by helicopter to Pomona Valley Hospital by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. She had a broken ankle but nothing life-threatening or critical.

Even though she had no cell service in the area, the woman was able to survive because she had enough supplies in her car. This is a great reminder for all to carry in our cars extra water, food, clothes, a sleeping bag, and other emergency items, especially in the winter.