Car Stuck Off-Road: Just Like the Movies… (Repeat)

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0:33It's 7am on December the 23rd, 2016, in Kaibab National Forest, Arizona. It's the morning after a blizzard, and the landscape is buried beneath eight inches of snow. The boughs of the evergreens slump beneath heavy drifts. Here and there, saplings peek through the blanket of white. Running through this immense forest is a long, serpentine road. a highway which leads to one of the most famous sites on earth, the Grand Canyon. Most of the year, traffic hums along its twin lanes, ferrying tourists to and fro from the iconic attraction. But not today. Today, the road is closed for the winter. Repeated severe snowstorms have made it impassable, and visitors are encouraged to seek alternate routes.

1:27As a result, this ordinarily busy highway is deserted and unplowed. There isn't a tourist for miles around. Except one. In a clearing, curled, shivering beneath a pile of spruce branches, is 46-year-old Karen Klein. Yesterday, everything started out so normal. She was safe and happy with her family. Now she's deep in the forest, alone, half frozen, and in desperate need of help. I was exhausted. You know, I was hungry, I was tired, I was cold. My feet, I couldn't feel my feet, because my shoes were packed with ice. Delicately, Karen stands, painfully straightening her stiff, icy joints. She begins to stagger forward through the knee-deep snow, her muscles on fire.

2:20She is weak and weary, but she has to keep moving. Because it isn't just her own life at stake. Her husband Eric and her ten-year-old son Izzy are depending on her. Miles away, they too are lost and vulnerable. Karen doesn't have a choice. She must find help, and she isn't going to stop until she does. I was never like, okay, I'm going to die now. I have to get help for Izzy. I have to get help for Eric.

3:17fight for their lives. In this episode, we meet Karen and her son, Izzy. In 2016, the clients are on vacation in the American Southwest. From Las Vegas to the Canyonlands of Utah, they're ticking sights off the bucket list. Next up is the Grand Canyon, and as the family sets off in their hire car, it's impossible to imagine how abruptly their day will turn bad. Just a small slice of misfortune will send the client's vacation into a tailspin. Forced to split up in the middle of nowhere, they have no idea how close they'll come to never seeing each other again. The survival mode, like, kicks in.

4:02Like, this is no joke. This isn't some screenplay. Like, this is real. And people die like this. This might not turn out well. I'm John Hopkins from Noiser. This is Real Survival Stories.

4:45It's Monday, December the 19th, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Amid the bright lights of the hotels and casinos, a family of three wanders down the bustling Vegas Strip. They are 46-year-old Karen Klein, her husband, Eric, and their 10-year-old son, Izzy. The Kleins are on vacation. They're visiting Las Vegas from Pennsylvania, where Eric is a social worker and Karen teaches environmental science at the local college. Kind, neighborly and unassuming, the Clines are your typical suburban family. Things were just pretty normal, you know, just a normal family of three. And, you know, we have birds and we have dogs and just what you would say, just a typical family.

5:32and usually we try to get away for just a nice, fun, light family vacation once or twice a year. After landing in Las Vegas earlier today, Karen, Eric and Izzy picked up the hire car from the airport before checking into their hotel. Though they aren't gamblers, they're excited to sample the many other, more child-friendly attractions that Vegas has to offer. We did things like the Wax Museum. We were going to see the Cirque de L.A. show. The nightlife of Las Vegas when you're 10 is very interesting. That's all I'm going to say. While his parents follow close behind, Izzy walks out in front. His large brown eyes reflect the dazzling, dizzying array of sights and sounds.

6:22For this bright, lively, and inquisitive 10-year-old, adventures with his mom and dad have already given him some of his most precious memories. My family was very close. It was something that we did is that we always had a location that we were going to go to every year. So the year before, we went to Montreal. The winter before, we went to Liverpool. And we went to London for Beatles sightseeing. My family is very close. It was very important to me then, and it's very important to me now. Our relationship has always been very much of a team effort as far as our family and raising Izzy. We're both very kind and respectful to one another.

7:10Eric is very generous and very kind, and he was a stay-at-home dad for a little bit for Izzy. So we're very gentle and very positive-minded parents. We're not putative with Izzy or with each other. And just we have a lot of fun. Our mantra is to have as much life experiences as we can together as a family. So very, very close. We're very close. The clients want to make the most of their time in the Southwest. They've got the hire car. And with some of America's most famous natural landmarks just a few hours' drive away, why not cross a few more destinations off the list? Like there's Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon and thinking to hit these highlights.

7:59Just take just two, three days and just drive and do just a highlight tour. Two days later, the clients check out of their hotel and pile into the car. They enter Bryce Canyon National Park into the GPS and off they go. With tickets to see Cirque du Soleil on the 24th, they're on a tight schedule. They intend to be back in Vegas in three days' time. By then, they should have a few more unforgettable experiences under their belts.

8:37It's the morning of Thursday the 22nd of December. A four-door sedan rolls through the desert terrain of Bryce Canyon, Utah. It's an atmospheric landscape of towering red limestone spires, squats, flat-topped mesa hills, and canyon walls streaked with a dozen fiery hues. Being midwinter, a light sprinkling of snow covers the ground. Inside the car, Karen, Eric, and Izzy drink it all in. It was like being in a different world, like being on Mars. It was beautiful. I mean, it's the whole area, you know, cliff sides right along the road. And yeah, the rocks are quite orange and red. And the colors were just amazing.

9:22Just beautiful. With just two days before they're due back in Vegas, the clients don't have time to properly explore these canyons. But then even if they did, Eric wouldn't be able to handle anything too strenuous. He's still recovering from a broken back, the result of a road accident last year. Thankfully, the views from the car are astonishing enough. After a whistle-stop tour of Bryce Canyon, the Clines drive south towards its more famous cousin, the Grand Canyon. We thought, well, we'll just spend an hour there, which I know in retrospect is kind of ridiculous for anyone who's ever been there.

10:04And being somewhat facetious, like go to the gift shop and pick up a refrigerator magnet and get a t-shirt and then drive back to Las Vegas. because we had had tickets for a show. So we thought, yeah, we'll just pop into the Grand Canyon and come back. As the Clines continue their journey south, an alert pops up on the GPS. The main route to the north rim of the Grand Canyon is closed. Instead, the sat-nav is now diverting them down a minor woodland road. The clients turn off the highway and onto the cracked asphalt of Forest Road 22. It isn't long before the landscape starts to change around them, parched scrub turning to coniferous woodland.

10:50Slushy snowbanks line the road, which snakes and weaves through the trees. It starts to drizzle. Through the rain-flecked window, young Izzy looks out at the scraggly, wind-bent evergreens, their contorted branches stark, almost sinister, against the pale winter sky. It's kind of indescribable, but we were following the bottom of a canyon with lots of twists and turns. Just vast forestry beside us. I can see the whole thing. And it was beautiful. It was one of the most beautiful, terrifying things ever. The clients diligently follow directions, driving deeper and deeper into the forest. Since turning off the highway some 30 minutes ago, they haven't passed a single other vehicle.

11:48Maybe the cold, wet weather has kept the tourists away. Karen glances at the GPS. The screen blinks and flickers. And then, the route vanishes from the map. The blue arrow representing their car disappears. A message appears on screen. No signal. The three of us are very optimistic people. It was just more of like, oh, heck. Oh, geez. You know, what's, all right, what's going on? and kind of slightly more, I would say, kind of just irritated. You know, okay, we've lost the reception for the GPS, but if we drive a little bit more, surely we'll pick it up again. Stay positive, a Klein family mantra.

12:45But as they continue down these unmarked access roads, their surroundings start to feel even more off the beaten track. After a while, asphalt gives way to gravel. Eventually, we just thought, you know, this just can't be right. Again, excusing our ignorance, but, you know, this is like Disney World, for crying out loud. You know, the equivalent of Disney World. There can't be this, what seemed like a cattle road to the Grand Canyon. After a brief consultation, Karen and Eric agree they've somehow gone the wrong way. It's time to stop and turn around. They can retrace their route back to the highway.

13:28It'll eat into their limited time at the Grand Canyon, but it's better than getting themselves hopelessly lost. Eric slows to a halt. He starts to do a three-point turn, twisting the wheel to the right and reversing. But as he does so, the back tires come off the road, and the car slumps into a shallow divot.

13:53Eric accelerates, but the rear wheels can't gain any traction in the mud and slush.

14:02So we got out of the car and we did all that we could, you know, as far as trying to get the car out of the mud. We rocked the car back and forth and we put some clothing and tree branches underneath the wheels to try to gain traction. While Eric pumps the gas pedal, Karen and Izzy push the car from behind. But it's no use. The back wheels are firmly lodged in the mud. They're going nowhere. In one tiny moment, everything has changed. This relaxing, enjoyable, normal day has become something else entirely. it. You're watching this play out like it's somebody else's scenario. Like this happens to other people, but this doesn't happen to us because, you know, the car got stuck.

14:51Well, of course we're going to get the car out because that's what happens when your car gets stuck. You know, that's only in the movies that the car just keeps getting more and more stuck, no matter what you try. And that's when it was more of like, oh, this is, this is not good.

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16:16This episode is brought to you by Palmolive. Family time isn't just the big moments, it's weeknight dinners, sitting around the table, everyone talking all at once. So when the plates are empty and the sink is full, use Palmolive Ultra. Palmolive's most powerful formula removes up to 99.9 % of grease, leaving your dishes sparkling clean. And the new convenient pump makes cleaning even easier so you can spend less time tackling dishes and more time together shop now at palmolive.com it's 3 p.m the clients have found themselves stranded in the middle of a huge snowbound forest somewhere just north of grand canyon national park with no cell reception and little likelihood of anyone passing them on this remote back road There is no mistaking the gravity of their situation.

17:12But the clients aren't the self-pitying sort. Right away, they start coming up with a plan. Being of a positive mindset, we're very solutions-based. Like, okay, so what do we do now? And so there was never this defeatist type of wringing of our hands and just sitting and stewing over our misfortune. You know, it was very much like, okay, what are we doing now? Okay, this is how we can fix this. This is what we can do. Based on their last GPS reading, Karen and Eric estimate that they're probably just a few miles from the main road. If one of them could reach it on foot, they'd be able to flag down a passing vehicle or at the very least get a single bar of cell service.

18:00As for which of them we'll go, So it's not really up for discussion. Karen is the fitter of the two, a keen runner, and Eric is still recovering from her broken back. It's a no-brainer. It just seemed kind of natural. There was no, like, impending doom. I was like, oh, yeah, no worries. You know, I'm just, I'll just run out. And Eric, you stay with Izzy because of your back. And, you know, I'll just run out and I will, you know, I'll go flag somebody down or I'll get cell phone service and then we'll just call someone. Karen fills her pockets with a few snacks and a bottle of water. She's dressed in jeans, a fleece, and a lightweight water-resistant jacket.

18:41She's also got a woolen hat and a thin pair of gloves. On her feet, a pair of walking sneakers. It's far from ideal attire for the conditions, with snow on the ground and temperatures barely above freezing. But it'll have to do. Anyway, this shouldn't take too long. Two hours? Three. After hugging Izzy and Eric goodbye, Karen sets off trudging down the road. I didn't have any visions of never returning. You know, of course, I said my goodbyes and, okay, I'll see you later. You know, team Klein, you know, we've got this. All right, I'll go get somebody. You know, kind of a yeehaw kind of mentality.

19:25It's about two hours later. By now, the drizzle has turned to persistent snow. The wind has picked up too. Flurries whip around Karen's head as she slogs down the road, her hands buried deep inside her jacket pockets. Every few seconds, she glances at her phone to see if she's got any reception. No luck. Still, the main road is now just ahead of her. There's bound to be some traffic. when I got there the road was plowed and there were tire tracks so it was to me it was clear that it was a road that was traveled I said well I could just stand here and wait for somebody to pass by or I could just keep walking because you know again with the belief that I would just eventually get at least one bar of cell phone service you know and call somebody you know call 911 or call somebody.

20:24So I started to walk. Continuing along the side of the main road, Karen scours the dusk for headlights. A three-inch layer of fresh snow has now settled on the ground. She can feel the cold spreading through her feet as the snow soaks into her shoes. I kept thinking, I'm not sure this is going so well, you know, but trying to keep a positive mindset. I kept saying the same mantra, I've got cell phone service or somebody should drive by. And when it started to get a little dark, that's when I thought it's too late to turn around. And, you know, I guess I'll just keep walking. Meanwhile, back at the car, there is a growing feeling of concern.

21:16Night is creeping in, and there's still no sign of Karen. Something isn't right. We are both worried. We both want to just know that she's safe. Because we don't know what's in the wilderness of where we were. We really didn't know the environment. We did not come prepared. So we decide to go and look for her. Using the torch on his phone, Eric illuminates the road, where Karen's footprints trail off into the darkness. Snow tumbles from the black sky, catching in Izzy's dark curls. The cold stings his cheeks as they trudge forward through the deepening drifts. Now and then they try calling out, but their voices are swallowed up by the trees.

22:04We kept yelling for help. we were yelling if anybody was on the trail, it kind of felt like yelling into an abyss. It could have been a remote island for all I know. That's how little people were on that trail. They struggle on. Izzy peers into the darkness, but all he can make out is the white ribbon of road and the zigzagging trail of his mother's footprints. After three hours, Eric stops. They've gone as far as they can go. Walking any further from the car would be too dangerous. They're going to have to turn around. It's a difficult decision, but given the circumstances, it's the right one.

22:48Karen had a major head start, and is likely several miles away by now. Eric's priority is Izzy's safety. They start the long trek back to the car. Wherever Karen is, she's now completely on her own.

23:19The End

23:37It has been over six hours since Karen set off walking. Why is there no traffic? Not even a forestry vehicle or a park ranger? She tries to stay positive. Eventually she's bound to reach some kind of civilization, somewhere she can alert the authorities. Karen bows her head against the wind and slugs on.

24:03After a couple more hours, she reaches a fork in the road The road actually split off into two parts and both of them were equally as untraveled looking and again, it was too late to turn around and so I'm thinking, okay, I'm not really sure where to go like, which direction to go because am I going to just keep walking deeper into the woods? Up until this point, Karen has been following a single path. Now, she must choose between two identical tracks. Pick wrong, and she could be unwittingly heading deeper into the wilderness. It's a 50-50 gamble, a coin toss. Her faltering breath mists the icy air.

24:51Left or right. Around her, the snow twists and swirls in eddies. Karen squints into the gloom. And as she does, her fatigued mind starts to find patterns in the flurries. She watches, suddenly transfixed. To the right of me, I saw like a swirl in the snow. And I'm like, what is that? But it kind of looked like cartoonish. It was very odd. And a little animal popped up, like a weasel. because I'm an ecologist, so I study animals and plants. And I thought, okay, that's weird. She stares, bemused at the hallucination. As a scientist, Karen is a rational thinker. What she's seeing is probably a symptom of her exhaustion, a figment of a fevered mind.

25:49But that doesn't make it any less real. And it looked at me, and it kind of like laughed or chortled or something, and it ran down the one road. And I'm like, okay, so first of all, I think I'm dying because only dead people start to hallucinate. It didn't feel like a hallucination. And I'm like, I guess I'll follow wherever that weasel goes. You know, like, okay, well, nothing else is making sense, so I'll just follow that animal. With nothing else to guide her, Karen follows the weasel. At this stage, why not?

26:30After a further mile or so, she reaches a second fork in the road. And just when she's confronted with another make-or-break decision... Dang it if this weasel didn't pop out of the snow again. And run in the direction down the road. It's like the weirdest thing. Karen doesn't question her sanity. She just lowers her head and plows on.

26:59The night deepens. After a few more hours, the wind drops, leaving a stillness that seems to wrap itself around her. The silence is all-consuming, numbing. The only sound is the muffled crunch of her footfall through the snow, which is now about eight inches deep. Even her animal guide seems to have abandoned her.

27:25Eventually, she arrives at a clearing. Up ahead, silhouetted against the bluish-black sky, is a recognizable shape. It was about like two in the morning, and I saw ahead of me a sign, like a road sign, a small one. and I thought, okay, well, like I was exhausted and I was hungry and I was cold. I had ice packed in my shoes and I said, I just, I have to stop for the night. Karen has been walking nonstop for almost 12 hours. She needs to rest. Fortunately, when it comes to surviving in the wild, Karen does have some experience. Years ago, she worked as an environmental educator for a land conservation group.