A CANADIAN woman whose van got stuck in canyon territory in Nevada has been found alive after surviving for seven weeks on water and tiny amounts of trail mix.
Rita Chretien (56) is being treated in hospital in Twin Falls, Idaho, after she was discovered by hunters who were taking advantage of the first good weather in Nevada following an extreme winter. She had lost 30lb but is likely to make a full recovery.
The search now turns to her husband, Albert (59), whom she last saw on March 22nd. After their vehicle got stuck in the mud, he set off on his own on foot with a GPS unit in an attempt to find help and has not been seen since.
The couple set off from their home in Penticton, British Columbia, close to the US border, on March 19th and drove south en route to a trade fair in Las Vegas.
Their son Raymond told the Oregoniannewspaper that they decided to take a scenic route along back roads, but their 2000 Chevrolet Astro van got stuck in mud on a logging road in north-east Nevada. The remote area has no mobile phone coverage.
Ms Chretien survived on water from a nearby creek and trail mix, which she ate sparingly over the 49 days before she was discovered. She was severely malnourished when she was found by hunters on all-terrain vehicles and was unable to keep down the food they gave her.
When she first talked to her son, she said she was sorry for the worry she had put the family through. He said his mother was not optimistic about finding her husband. “He didn’t have shelter. It’s her belief that he didn’t make it.” – (Guardian service)