A 92-year-old man named Larry Hendrickson miraculously survived a night in freezing temperatures after his vehicle went down an embankment in Northeast Oregon. The incident occurred as Larry and his wife, Shirley, were driving separately from Yuma, Arizona to Newport, Washington, last week. Shirley, driving a U-Haul truck, continued home after fixing a tire issue, while Larry, in their car, went missing without a cell phone.
Shirley reached home around 3:30 a.m. and was surprised that her husband wasn’t home. She alerted friends and the Oregon State Police, who later found Larry's car abandoned in Baker County, Oregon. Despite finding his car, police couldn’t initially locate Larry.
While searching the area, a trooper spotted part of Larry's clothing, leading him to be found buried in the brush at the bottom of an embankment. He was conscious but suffering from hypothermia, and was transported to a local hospital, then to an Idaho hospital for further care. After two days, Larry was discharged to go home. His wife says he’s hurting, but she’s thankful to have him home, calling it “a miracle” that he made it.
Larry said he thought about how lonely Shirley would be and he just kept hanging on for her!