A couple with four children under 10 years old in their care were missing for two days in Nevada's sub-zero temperatures. They were all found alive by rescue teams Tuesday, and it's a wonder they're all fairing so well.
Authorities attribute their survival to the family doing things right when the situation became dire.
James Glanton, 34, his girlfriend Christina McIntee, 25, their two children Evan and Chloe Glanton, and Shelby Fitzpatrick and Tate McIntee, a niece and nephew of Christina McIntee, were rescued after ground and air crews had been searching for them since Sunday. The children ranged in age from 3 to 10.
The family became stranded in Seven Troughs, Nev., where they had gone to play in the snow, after their jeep flipped.
This Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013 photo provided by searcher Lucia Gonzalez shows the vehicle belonging to a family who went missing after a trip to play in the snow near Lovelock, Nev. (AP/Lucia Gonzalez)
"They did a lot of things right by staying with the vehicle, and they did have food and water available with them, and as soon as the vehicle suffered this slow rollover accident, the father jumped into action," Dr. Douglas Vacek from Pershing General Hospital told Reuters.
Vacek added that James Glanton "knew that they had to stay warm, and the first thing he did was build a fire and he was able to keep that fire going the entire time while they were out." The family heated stones in the fire and used them for warmth inside the vehicle.
This undated family photo provided by the Pershing County Sheriff's Office shows James Glanton. Rescue teams were working against the clock and the brutal cold but found the family alive and well, all things considered, Tuesday. (AP/Family Photo via Pershing County Sheriff's Office)
Although the family was treated for exposure and dehydration, Reuters reported that they were not frostbitten. But they very well could have been, given that overnight temperatures in the nearby town of Lovelock dipped to 16 degrees below zero during the search.
Watch KTNV-TV's report about the harrowing ordeal:
Sheila Reitz of the Pershing County Sheriff's Office said a member of the public searching on the ground -- one of 200 people searching -- located the family.
"The mood where I'm at's ecstatic," said Col. Tim Hahn, who commands the Nevada Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, which had six planes searching for the group. "We are thrilled beyond words."
Gov. Brian Sandoval tweeted about the discovery.
"Very glad to hear the missing family in Lovelock has been found and they are safe!" he said. "Thank you to all who worked so tirelessly to find them!"
Reitz said a signal from the missing woman's phone initially showed they were in the Seven Troughs area 25 miles northwest of Lovelock. After that, the search was expanded to a wider area.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
(H/T: Business Insider)
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