“I felt really pissed at myself.”
Clifton Vial, Nome Alaska
When Clifton Vial of Nome, Alaska (population 3,653) decided to take a drive and do a little exploring, he threw on a pair of tennis shoes and a jacket and hit the road. What he hit next was the problem. More than 40 miles out of town, Mr. Vial plowed into a snow drift, a big one. Unable to dig out and without cell phone reception, he hunkered down in the subzero weather. Kicking himself for not bringing emergency provisions, like warm clothes, food, and extra gas, Mr. Vial made do with what he had. He wrapped towels around his feet, climbed into a sleeping bag liner, and munched on snow and frozen beer. He turned on his truck from time to time to warm up, but it wasn’t long before the needle was on empty. He dozed off and thought of his daughter and the people at work.
The people at work were thinking of Mr. Vial, too. When he didn’t show up for his shift, they were alarmed. When he didn’t show up a second day, they went on full alert and called authorities. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department, state troopers, volunteer rescuers, and coworkers launched a search. The following day a coworker and another volunteer found Mr. Vial—three days after he set out on his explore. Sixteen pounds lighter but with no visible signs of frostbite, Mr. Vial planned a visit to the doctor and then back to work, grateful for the coworkers who came to his rescue.
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