Man Stranded On Snowy Oregon Road Without Service MacGyvered A Drone & His Phone To Signal For Help!

Thank god for modern technology!

An Oregon man is still alive today after getting stuck in the unforgiving winter snow, all because of a drone, and some quick thinking. The driver, who was traveling along an unmaintained road in the Willamette National Forest recently, found himself in a situation NO ONE wants to be in — stuck in the unrelenting snow, and without any cell service to call for help.

To make things even worse, the unidentified man knew no one would come for him, as his family was reportedly out of the country at the time, and he hadn’t disclosed his travel plans to anyone else before he left, according to the Lane County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue.

Oof. This is sounding like the plot to a survivalist movie…

However, instead of letting panic get the best of him, the individual began brainstorming a way to communicate to civilization that he was stranded — and ultimately came up with a simultaneously ingenious, yet long shot of a plan.

With him in his vehicle, he had a drone and his cell phone… Useless from his exact location, as he was too remote to pick up any bars — but what about if he was higher? The strandee “made several smart decisions,” according to the search and rescue team, beginning with a plot to attach his cell phone to the drone. He then typed out an SOS to a trusted friend, detailing his exact location and circumstances, and hit send on the text before launching the drone up “several hundred feet into the air.”

According to search and rescue, “The increased elevation allowed his phone to connect to a tower and send the message, which resulted in our teams being deployed and assisting him out of his situation.”

Wow, if that ain’t a show of quick wits and some major self preservation, we don’t know what is!

During the rescue mission, the man was quickly located as he included the necessary information to track his whereabouts — and even ended up saving another lost soul’s life! Apparently, there was another driver who had also been stranded in the dire conditions for “multiple days,” and he too, was able to be located and rescued. See more (below):

With the Lane County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue team’s Sunday release detailing the situation, they celebrated the stranded man’s creativity “displayed to call for help,” but also took a moment to warn other motorists of winter travel situations:

“Forest Roads are not maintained for winter travel. Any attempt to travel on unmaintained snow or ice covered roads (no matter how much or little) should only be made with a group of well-equipped vehicles. If one vehicle becomes stuck, the other vehicles can attempt to free the stuck vehicle or can turn around and be used to drive everyone back to safety.

Always tell a responsible person EXACTLY where you are going, and when you expect to be back. Do not deviate from this plan. If a road becomes unpassable, turn around and go back the way you came, do not attempt a detour without first updating your plan with your emergency contact.

Of the dozens of missions we have had this winter involving a vehicle stuck in the snow, nearly all of them were 4×4 vehicles and almost all of the drivers told us “I didn’t think I would get stuck.” Instead of asking yourself whether you think you can get through a section of road, ask yourself “What will happen if I do get stuck?” If you (and the group of other vehicles you are traveling with) are not prepared to deal with any of the possible outcomes from an attempt, turn around and go back the way you came.”

See their full post (below):

We’re so impressed this man was able to brainstorm a plan to save himself — and, as it turns out, another strandee. Please be careful while making your winter trips, and take the advice listed by search and rescue (above).

What are your thoughts on the rescue mission, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments down below!

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