Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
California Man Survives 7 Days Stuck on Snowy High Sierra Road
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 4 years ago on
February 5, 2021

Share

DOWNIEVILLE — A California man survived seven days in the Sierra Nevada after following his GPS navigation system down a treacherous mountain road and getting hemmed in by deep snow.

Harland Earls, 29, was rescued by a helicopter crew on Sunday, hours after emergency dispatchers tracked his cellphone to a unplowed county road in the heart of the Tahoe National Forest, and seven days after he started on what should have been a 60-mile drive home from a friend’s house, the Sierra County Sheriff’s office said.

He was in good condition after being holed up in his pickup, topped with a camper shell, with food, water, winter clothes, and a propane heater he had brought with him, authorities said.

“He was very fortunate in that he had the supplies to get through the week,” Sierra County Sheriff-Coroner Mike Fisher said.

Earls had visited friends in Grass Valley the weekend before the worst of a winter storm hit California. Interstate 80, the main route over the Donner mountain pass, was closed on Jan. 24 due to heavy snowfall, and Earls told authorities his GPS rerouted him to travel on Henness Pass road, unaware that it is not plowed in the winter.

His truck got stuck on a dirt portion of the road and wasn’t able to move through a thick layer of snow.

Had to Hike to Spot with Cellphone Reception

Family members who hadn’t heard from Earls searched for him before reporting him missing on Saturday. The next day, as authorities launched a search by air and by snowmobile, Earls strapped snowboards onto his feet and hiked from his truck to a spot with cellphone reception and dialed 911.

The call dropped, but not before dispatchers confirmed his GPS location.

“That area has spotty cell service. He was fortunate that he was able to locate a spot with a signal,” Fisher said.

Authorities say they conduct dozens of searches and rescues on Henness Pass during snow season, as motorists stuck in ski traffic rely on their navigation devices for alternative routes. One winter day in 2018, Fisher said 50 cars got stuck in the snow on the eastern end of the road.

“People blindly follow their GPS,” Fisher told the San Francisco Chronicle. “When you’re in the city, the worst thing that could happen is, it takes you out of your way. When you’re in the mountains, you might die.”

Fisher said while he wishes navigation apps provide warnings when they redirect drivers, motorists need to be better prepared for winter travel when they come to the mountains to avoid putting themselves in dangerous situations.

“At what point is it the government’s responsibility to ensure you’re driving on a proper road versus personal responsibility to identify that you’re in a situation that just doesn’t look right?” Fisher said. “At some point, when the snow is getting worse and worse, common sense should tell you to go back to the main highway.”

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Fashion Fair’s Forever 21 to Close. ‘Still a Ways to Go,’ Says Employee

DON'T MISS

Who Runs Elon Musk’s DOGE? Not Musk, the White House Says.

DON'T MISS

New Self-Pollinating Almond Tree Could Be Huge for a Big Fresno Cash Crop

DON'T MISS

Madera County Secures First Fentanyl-Related Homicide Conviction

DON'T MISS

Musk Team Seeks Access to IRS System With Taxpayers’ Records

DON'T MISS

Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’

DON'T MISS

Fresno Weather Forecast: Pretty as a Postcard

DON'T MISS

Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off-Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease

DON'T MISS

Judge Declines to Immediately Block Elon Musk or DOGE From Federal Data or Layoffs

DON'T MISS

NBA Playoff Race Heats Up as All-Star Break Ends

UP NEXT

CA Electricity Bills Could Soar Even Higher as Big Tech Builds More Data Centers

UP NEXT

Small Businesses Drive the Economy. Yet Their Funding Is at Risk Under Trump.

UP NEXT

Death of South Korean Actor at 24 Sparks Discussion About Social Media

UP NEXT

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

UP NEXT

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

UP NEXT

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

UP NEXT

California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny

UP NEXT

A Former Firefighter in the Legislature Has Ideas. Will Democrats Listen?

UP NEXT

Big Homeowner Rate Hike From State Farm Shot Down by California Regulator

UP NEXT

Poll: Where US Adults Think the Government Is Spending Too Much

Madera County Secures First Fentanyl-Related Homicide Conviction

10 hours ago

Musk Team Seeks Access to IRS System With Taxpayers’ Records

11 hours ago

Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’

11 hours ago

Fresno Weather Forecast: Pretty as a Postcard

11 hours ago

Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off-Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease

11 hours ago

Judge Declines to Immediately Block Elon Musk or DOGE From Federal Data or Layoffs

11 hours ago

NBA Playoff Race Heats Up as All-Star Break Ends

11 hours ago

NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon Talks ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel With Tom Cruise

11 hours ago

Adames Joins Giants, Excited to Team Up With Gold Glover Chapman

12 hours ago

Leonard Peltier Released After Biden Commuted Sentence in FBI Agents’ Killings

13 hours ago

Fashion Fair’s Forever 21 to Close. ‘Still a Ways to Go,’ Says Employee

Signs hung throughout fast-fashion clothing store Forever 21 show discounts ranging from 10% to 40% off the “entire store.” And,...

8 hours ago

8 hours ago

Fashion Fair’s Forever 21 to Close. ‘Still a Ways to Go,’ Says Employee

9 hours ago

Who Runs Elon Musk’s DOGE? Not Musk, the White House Says.

10 hours ago

New Self-Pollinating Almond Tree Could Be Huge for a Big Fresno Cash Crop

Fentanyl M30 Pills
10 hours ago

Madera County Secures First Fentanyl-Related Homicide Conviction

11 hours ago

Musk Team Seeks Access to IRS System With Taxpayers’ Records

FILE — Steve Bannon speaks to reporters outside State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Feb. 11, 2025. Stephen Bannon, a top adviser during President Trump’s first term and a key figure among his supporters, said Elon Musk wants to “play-act as God” as part of his push to overhaul the federal government. (Jefferson Siegel/The New York Times)
11 hours ago

Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’

11 hours ago

Fresno Weather Forecast: Pretty as a Postcard

11 hours ago

Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off-Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease

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

Search

Send this to a friend