What would you do if you found yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere in your car on a snowbound road without cell phone service?  Many people, unable to call for help, boldly set out on foot – often wandering around for hours in the cold, only to succumb to the elements.

It’s a common scenario, search-and-rescue experts say.  Each year, especially in the harshest winter months, drivers in snowy climbs find themselves trapped.  And many, having never told relatives or friends about their travel plans, aren’t suspected of being missing – maybe for weeks.

Last month in the Cascade Forest in Willamette County, Oregon, a snowbound driver found himself trapped in this familiar scenario.  And his family, traveling overseas, was unaware of his predicament and couldn’t be contacted.

But the man – a recreational drone flier and drone enthusiast – came up with an ingenious plan.  Instead of searching for assistance, he popped the trunk of his car and strapped his cell phone to his drone.  After typing a message to a trusted friend describing his plight and asking for help, he launched his drone several hundred feet in the air. At the higher altitude, his cell phone signal was easily received by a nearby cell phone tower, and his call and message went through.

And just as he’d hoped, his friend received his message and immediately sprang into action.  Rescuers then found the trapped man and whisked him to safety.

First-responders credited the man, who remains unidentified, with staying in his car to stay warm.  But they expressed genuine astonishment at his “creativity” in deploying a drone to contact help.  In many cases stranded drivers still succumb to the cold if their battery runs down and their heating system fails.

All told, the man was stranded for less than two hours, and after sending and recalling his drone, he never panicked.  He knew his friend and saw that his call had gone through.  He remained confident that help would arrive.

The incident had another happy outcome.  En route to rescue the snowbound driver, rescuers spotted another man trapped in the snow; they were able to rescue him, too.  Instead of two possible tragedies, a quick-thinking man with a drone managed to save himself – and possibly, someone else.

Lane County officials said they were “happy with the outcome” of the incident but urged people traveling in the winter to exercise caution.  Let somebody know where you’re headed before you hit the road, they warned.

And they might have added:  Don’t forget your drone.

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