A couple from Clovis, N.M., was rescued nearly 20 hours after they were trapped in a snowdrift on Saturday. They had no clue that they might have to endure something of this nature when they first set out.
Betty and Jimmy Anderson work as newspaper carriers with Clovis Media Inc. They set out in their Ford Fusion on Saturday to deliver 115 copies of the Clovis News Journal newspaper. The couple usually covers a 50-mile radius around Clovis on these rounds, delivering the newspaper to different subscribers in several communities around Clovis, according to NBC News.
They were able to successfully deliver the newspaper to roughly five people on Saturday and still had 110 papers that remained to be delivered. As Beth and Jimmy were driving through their first few destinations, they noticed that the weather was gradually deteriorating. Hence, they decided to stop their journey right in the middle of a road. Once they stopped, they noticed that the weather outside gradually grew worse, and they weren't able to move after a certain time. Their entire vehicle was soon enveloped by several feet of snow.
The couple left the engine of their Ford vehicle on, as that was the only source of heating for them. However, the engine stopped working by midnight Sunday. They then managed to keep the cold out by moving to one seat and using a blanket that was in the vehicle, The Albuquerque Journal reported.
"We'd fall asleep for five or ten minutes and then wake up and say 'Hey are you OK?' We just tried to keep each other talking. We didn't sleep much", Jimmy said, according to The Examiner. "I was afraid I wouldn't wake up."
However, since their cell phones retained their charge, they were able to communicate with rescue workers and others trying to reach them. This allowed rescue teams to be able to trace them and pin their location fairly precisely. The first rescue teams were able to locate their vehicle in the morning. However, the amount of snow and the continuing bad weather meant that they could not mount a rescue immediately. Despite these obstacles, a rescue team with bulldozers and other equipment was finally able to get them out by Sunday evening.
