Son 'did everything he could' to save mom stranded in snowstorm

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Kevin Cole

A Nebraska State Patrol official said a 19-year-old “did everything he could” to try to save his mother before she died of exposure in a snowstorm that pounded the Panhandle.

Capt. Mike Gaudreault, commander of the Scottsbluff troop, said Wednesday that Lisa Conrad's body was found about 5:40 p.m. MDT Tuesday by Box Butte County residents searching for her and her son, Brandon Conrad Jr., whom she had called from her stranded car.

The son was found by the searchers a short time later in an abandoned farmhouse. He was suffering from hypothermia and frostbite.

Brandon was taken to Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, where a hospital spokeswoman said he was in fair condition.

FULL story at link.


Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20130411/NEWS/704119884/1685#son-did-everything-he-could-to-save-mom-stranded-in-snowstorm

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Photo: http://www.omaha.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=OW&Date=20130411&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=704119884&Ref=AR&Profile=1685&maxw=598&maxh=400

Lisa Conrad

[TwilightGardener]

1. Like something out of the 1800's, getting disoriented in a blizzard.

Having been out in the Panhandle a few times, there is NOTHING out there--that the kid was able to find an abandoned farmhouse is a miracle. Stay in your car, people!

[KansDem]

2. My wife, who grew up on a farm in the Kaw Valley of Kansas...

...said her dad always stressed keeping you car tank full in winter in case you get stranded in a snow storm and needed to run the heater for awhile.

Having grown up in California, I never appreciated the importance of that bit of advice until I came back here to Kansas!
[font size="1"] <-cold!

[lunatica]

3. My son's friend's father just died like that recently

stranded in a snowstorm in his car. I'm not sure if he left the car or not.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. The advice they always give on the news is to stay with your car

and to run the heater for a few minutes at a time (after making sure that your exhaust pipe isn't blocked with snow and that you have the windows open a crack to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning). Also, you should never set out on a winter journey in a rural area without assuming that you might be trapped in a blizzard. If I had to travel across Nebraska in a snowstorm, I'd take a winter-weight sleeping bag, some trail mix, a thermos of hot water, some heat sticks, and a camp lantern with a 9-volt battery.