Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Fresno Teen Grateful to Be Alive After 30 Hours in Utah Mountains
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 5 years ago on
January 9, 2020

Share

Nicolas Stacy-Alcantara, who survived nearly 30 hours alone in the snowy Utah mountains, said Wednesday he kept himself awake with phone alarms, built a snow cave for shelter and held a special beaded bracelet to keep his hopes up.
The 17 year old Fresno teenager was visiting Utah to see an ex-girlfriend and decided to go for a day-long hike in relatively mild weather last week, he said.
“I love hiking, it kind of clears my head,” he said. The teen took an Uber up a canyon east of Salt Lake City, bringing six peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and 40 ounces of water with him. He planned to be out all day and make it back in time for dinner.
But late that afternoon it started snowing and the temperature dropped, forcing him to stop, he said. His cellphone didn’t have service along his planned route from Millcreek Canyon to Park City.
Eventually, with his feet starting to freeze, he found a spot under a tree with some protection from the elements and built up a small snow cave to keep the wind at bay. He set a timer on his phone to go off every 30 minutes so he wouldn’t fall asleep, and tapped his hands against his chest to keep the blood flowing.
His ex-girlfriend and her mother had called police when he didn’t arrive for dinner, but with darkness falling help didn’t immediately arrive. As the hours went on, he started to lose hope, he said.

Looking Forward to Being Released From the Hospital in the Coming Days

Then he found something in his backpack: A beaded bracelet his ex-girlfriend had given him early in their relationship. It reminded him of everyone who cared about him, he said.
After the sun came up, he left the protection of the snow cave, along with his wet clothing and the boots too frozen to tie. Eventually, he found other hikers who had a satellite phone. He was about 6 miles from where he had been dropped off, authorities have said.

“I’m very lucky. I shouldn’t even be alive right now.” — Nicolas Stacy-Alcantara
Search and rescue officials said they found tracks that indicated he had been moving through waist-deep snow, and that he was lucky to survive the night.
The teen was flown out of the canyon by helicopter to University of Utah Hospital, where he has been treated for frostbite on his feet. While he said he’s still numb and in pain, he’s not expected to need any amputation.
Now, he’s looking forward to being released from the hospital in the coming days and returning to finish his senior year of high school. After that, he hopes to study aerospace engineering in college.
“I’m very lucky,” he said. “I shouldn’t even be alive right now.”
Associated Press

DON'T MISS

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

UP NEXT

Lakers Hold Off Rockets With 6 3-Pointers Apiece From Dorian Finney-Smith, Gabe Vincent

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

7 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

8 hours ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

Elon Musk has reclaimed his position as the world’s wealthiest individual, according to Forbes’ 39th annual World’s Billio...

4 hours ago

4 hours ago

Elon Musk Reclaims Top Spot on Forbes’ Billionaires List

7 hours ago

California Just Blew Its First Deadline for Voter-Approved Healthcare Measure

Nassau Hall at Princeton University is in Princeton, N.J., Oct. 8, 2024. (AP File)
7 hours ago

Trump Administration Halts Dozens of Research Grants at Princeton University

After 31 years of service, Fresno County Sheriff’s Deputy IV and Pilot Michael Sill is retiring, having logged over 10,000 flight hours.
7 hours ago

Fresno County Sheriff’s Pilot Takes His Last Flight as He Retires After 31 Years of Service

Khalid Ahmad holds a poster of his 17-year-old son, Waleed, who died in an Israeli prison, that reads in Arabic, "The hero prisoner Martyr, mercy and eternity for our righteous Martyrs," in the West Bank town of Silwad, northeast of Ramallah Wednesday, March 26, 2025. (AP/Nasser Nasser)
8 hours ago

A Palestinian From the West Bank Is First Detainee Under 18 to Die in Israeli Prison, Officials Say

8 hours ago

How Safe Is It to Walk to School? Fresno County Wants to Find Out

9 hours ago

Baseball Is Back! How to Listen to Your MLB Favorites and the Grizzlies

Vehicles at an Audi showroom in Miami, March 29, 2025. President Donald Trump has said that tariffs would encourage auto companies and their suppliers to move to the U.S. (Saul Martinez/The New York Times)
9 hours ago

Trump Says He’s Settled on a Tariff Plan That Is Set to Take Effect Wednesday

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend