On Monday, I read this incredible story of a woman surviving in the Nevada wilderness:
For 49 days, Rita Chretien waited for a miracle.
Her husband had ventured off to get help three days after their minivan got stranded off-road in the cold, untamed Nevada wilderness.
That left Rita alone without much beyond some hard candy, a long-ago emptied bag of trail mix, some books and the clothes she’d packed for her trip to Las Vegas.
This middle-aged woman was entirely unprepared and completely lost. With only snow to drink, little food, and no way to make a fire, she survived 49 days, alone. More from the story.
“It is unusual for us to see someone in this type of situation to actually not only survive, but to be doing so well at this time,” said Westberry. “She obviously had the mindset of survival, and that must have been something that helped her go as long as she did.”
To me, this line sums it up:
Her spirits and evident desire to live, he said, were even better.
She had an extreme will to live and that is what carried her 49 days. Just think that what people with minimum preparations such as water, food, map, compass, first aid shelter and a way to make a fire could do?
Thanks for the reminder. We so often get caught up in acquiring supplies and skills for survival that we tend to forget that the most important thing is the will to live.
As the Rule of Threes says, 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water,.….But only 3 seconds without hope.
Joe