When Casey Ryan’s truck got stuck in the snow on a remote mountain road east of Eugene, Oregon, while out on a short excursion with a buddy, they couldn’t get cell service to call for help. They spent a couple of hours trying to dig the truck out, but when they realized they were going to need rescuing, Ryan’s buddy came up with an ingenious idea.
The 37-year-old photographer was traveling with his favorite camera drone, which he used to fly his iPhone high into the air, hoping to pick up a signal and get a text out to his wife. Ryan typed into his phone, "Hey sweetheart, I'm sending my phone in the sky with my drone. Hope to get this message through,” he then adds, “We are stuck 25 miles in the mountains directly at Box Canyon.” Fortunately the text got through, but help didn’t come right away and they had to spend the night in the mountains.
The next day, volunteers from the Lane County Sheriff’s office found Ryan and his friend and helped them get his truck out of the snow. When rescuers reached them, they were also able to help another motorist who’d been stranded nearby in the snow for days. The Lane County Sheriff later posted Ryan’s story to social media. They praised him for the things he got right and what he shouldn't have done. They also took the opportunity to give some advice about how to avoid getting into trouble in the first place.
Photo: Getty Images