I find this difficult to believe. I do not see how someone could survive that long with no food in temperatures that were often well below 0F. Even in a hibernation like state, the body would need a large amount of energy just to maintain a high enough body temperature to survive. It would be interesting to know what this guy weighed when he first was stranded and when he was found. Bears only manage to survive their hibernation by building up massive fat stores before they go to sleep for their bodies to burn during the hibernation. There is no mention of it in the article, but I would also expect that as a minimum this guy would have major frostbite on his extremities, probably to the point of requiring amputation of toes if not his entire feet. Even being in a sleeping bag, with temperatures as cold as they were I can not see how he would avoid frostbite, at least on his toes/feet. He might have been able to protect his hands by keeping them protected with the rest of his body, but I do not see avoiding frostbite on his feet. People stranded for much shorter periods of time in weather no where near as cold have lost toes to frostbite. It would be interesting to see if this guys story about being stranded for two months can really be proven.

I can think of better ways to diet! And I'm pretty sure the resale value of the car will suffer.... the visualization of the condition of the interior... after two months... Yikes!

I think there was a guy in Cleveland who did that too.

@JS in SD, I can see it happening. The body can last that long without food, given the low temperatures, and that he had water, the critical factor (long confirmed hunger strikes: Barry Horne 68 days, Brother Yun 75 days, Swami Nigamanand died after 115 days, see link for many more).

As far as the cold goes, I don't know where you are from, but I live in a snowbelt area, and growing up, we used to make snow forts, and as long as you had on a good coat, they were pretty toasty due to the insulation the snow provided. They did say he also had a sleeping bag.

Clearly, this is very unusual, but it still seems possible to me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunger_strike#Anna_Hazare

Whatever the topic, alligator attack in Florida, death by crocodile in Africa, or someone surviving freezing temperatures in Sweden, JS in SD doesn't believe it. He must be highly educated to be such an expert on everything.

Do tell us, JS, where did you go to college? What is your level of education? We sit at your feet with breathless anticipation to learn where you acquired wisdom.

JD you have to be from ND to believe this story.

I actually would love to get this guy a plate of food and hear this story again

Not everybody could have done as this man, but it's possible. The snow will act as insulation, especially if mostly was as heavy as shown, but also agree some frost bite may have occurred. No matter, he's probably happy just to be alive.

The human animal is actually capable of much more than thought (and generally utilized) but such feats as this are, what I'd believe to be, in the more extreme and small percentage of the population.

how do you not walk out. if there was a storm then wait but as so as its clear you've got to try

Last time someone tried to walk out they died. Remember James Kim from Tech TV?

He died trying to walk out while his wife survived in the car.

There is a lot of "peer reviewed" science that says this is impossible right now.

read the highlighted links...

This would make for a great episode of "I Shouldn't Be Alive"...

In any case, it could be possible. Minimize energy output, sleep, cold temperatures slowing body functions down, etc.

The organ that would be constantly consuming kilocalories is the brain. Research has led to the general idea that the brain consumes energy in these manners:

Sleeping 70-81
Lying quietly 80-93
Sitting 100-116
Standing at ease 110-128
Conversation 110-128
Eating a meal 110-128
Strolling 140-163
Driving a car 140-163
Playing violin or piano 140-163
Housekeeping 150-175
Carpentry 230-268
Hiking, 4 mph 350-407
Swimming 500-582
Sprinting 1400-1630

Because the brain is the most power hungry organ in the body, consuming between 1/4th and 1/3rd of the daily kilocalorie intake (2000 kilocalories), if by sleeping, the man was able to reduce kilocalorie consumption of the brain to 70-93, then his body was probably only consuming roughly 350 kilocalories a day. In 2 months, this would be ~19000 kilocalories.

There are approximately 3500 kilocalories in one pound of fat. If the guy just even had 20 lbs of fat, that's 70000 kilocalories. This more than covers the approximate of 19000.

I know there are a lot of other factors like nutrient deficiencies, etc. But if his body did go into starvation cycle, though maintained a source of H20 intake, it's very plausible he could've done this.

(By the way, for those of you playing at home, kilocalorie = Calorie. That's why you're supposed to capitalize the 'C' in calories when you're talking about dietetics. 1 Calorie = 1000 calories.)

References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15271497?dopt=Abstract

JD - Who died and made you an expert on surviving in these conditions? The article clearly states that he probably fell into a hibernation-like metabolism. If the body temperature drops, less energy is require to maintain the lower temperature than is required to maintain a normal temperature. That's the main reason that the body makes the adjustment when in those conditions...to conserve energy.

A Swedish man was being treated in hospital Sunday after being dug out alive...

Hey, MSNBC writers...this is the USA, not Britain. In this country, an article is used before "hospital" and "university", as in "a hospital" or "the university".

BenSnead

Does there have to be an idiot in every thread trying to tie every story to politics? If you don't think Obama has done enough for you then blame it on the GOP that says NO to everything.

Now please go out in the cold and see if you can survive 2 months in a car. I'm sure no one will miss you if you dont make it.

Come the spring thaw, the authorities will find the gnawed bones of his wife and realize the grisly truth of how he really survived!

Unbelievable !!!...

Never wood have happened in Chicago. The car would have been ticketed, towed and the man charged with loitering!

"...he hibernated a bit like a bear..."

I was going to say that he must have had an incredible supply of m&m's and french fries stuck between the seats or either he ate the kids.

Hey...

#1 To all the idiots who said "garsh, that's impossible"... Well, since he did it, that just proves you wrong.. dummy and SCIENTIST say its possible, so who am i going to believe? A certifed scientist OR some arrogant as s who wish so bad that he finished high school he has to give his input on everything to make him seem smart? IT HAPPENED, BELIEVE IT, DEAL WITH IT!

#2 Why would he (and the police) lie about something like that? They said he was severely emaciated so wtf? You think he did it for attention? His guy was half dead the last thing he is worried about is the dam n media. Retards

#3 JS in SD okay we know what frostbite is and we know how it happens OMG stfu. With that being said everybody's body is different. Theres a man who can hold his breath for 10mins, is that fake too just because you cant do it? Maybe its not mentioned in the article because he doesnt want nosy know-it-alls like you in his damn business. The story is here to inform you on what amazing things the human body is capable of, not for YOU to decide whats real and whats not.

#4 JS in SD why are you so interested in hearing about the gruesome details in this story? Does your life suck so bad you depend on the pain of others to get you through the day? Sicko

This YARN is too much toooo swallow........... now put your thinking caps on!!!!

I'll bet he was thinking about a giant buffet dinner the whole time

Two months in sub zero? Not for a human unless there has been strange genetic breeding. But is anything strange anymore?

Technically, bears don't actually hibernate and neither do human beings, but obviously a mostly dormant state like this is possible for us. A 60 day fast is nothing; there are many documented cases of people fasting for far longer. He obviously had plenty of water in the form of snow. Obviously its a great weight loss technique...

Being Swedish, I believe it. God knows, no energy burned by brain activity. Like JS above, I now live in San Diego, but originally from the 'Great White North'. Two kinds of Swedes from there........the smart ones, and the ones that are still there.

Got caught in a heavy snow while camping once. Planned on 3 days but took a week to get out. Amazing how warm it is in a small tent buried in the snow...just don't fart.

I couldn't imagine 2 months. This guy definitely had a reason and the will to live.

Did anyone report him missing for the last 2 months?

What amazing Bodies our lord gave us :D

Ben's correct, except for the surviving part

ps. whatever, I am actually a doctor

Don't know about all that calorie stuff (if it took body fat to survive, I'd be safe) but from the cold standpoint, if the car was completely snow covered the temperature in the car would probably not drop much below 30 degrees (depending on snow depth). Don't think the cold would be that big a factor remaining in the car. I would think that oxygen would have been more of a concern if he was buried.

Just thinking!

JS in SD – I’m sorry but nobody would get frostbite while in a sleeping bag while also inside a car which is covered by several feet of snow for insulation. You might still die from hypothermia or starvation but you’re going to have all your fingers and toes.

An Irish IRA prisoner lived for 73 days without food, so 60 days is certainly possible, but very unusual.

Just a thought for anyone that gets caught in a similar situation.

Take the spare tire and put some gasoline on it a set it on fire. The black smoke from it can be seen for tens of miles. Be sure to do it during clear weather, and let the air out first to avoid an explosion.

PS - If at first you don't succeed, try, try again - you have 5 tires in a typical car.

you have 5 tires in a typical car

Doubtful.

"I'm sorry but nobody would get frostbite while in a sleeping bag while also inside a car which is covered by several feet of snow for insulation."

agreed... and to add on something that I don't believe anybody has mentioned yet: sleeping bags come in MANY varieties. Sure, there's the cheap thin ones that kids use at slumber parties, and if this guy had one of those he likely would have died. However, the low temperature camping bags actually wrap up and cover your entire head exposing only a small part of your face. The rest inside can get so warm even on a subzero day that you could actually sweat (which would have been very dangerous for this guy); and some styles even come with a flap to put over that small exposed airhole over the face, so that as long as the bag remained dry, it would be extremely effective at keeping him warm.

Those who keep bringing up frostbite have apparently never gone winter camping - and for a Swede, every cross country trip in the middle of winter is a possible "stuck off the road where nobody can see me" situation, so they do what a good Boy Scout does - "be prepared". Just as many people carry flares in their cars, or a tire jack, a good winter emergency kit for Sweden includes a really cold temperature sleeping bag.

Of course, if the guy had a big gut, that would also be a great built in calorie supply as well - so this is not just extremely possible, it clearly happened. Those trying to say it can't happen need to play in the snow sometime - with proper gear of course!

It just seemed that long. Probably overnight.

it will be easy to prove one way or the other how long he was in that car. Go to his house. Is his mailbox overflowing, or if he just has a slot in the door, is his entranceway full of IKEA ads? Was the rent or mortgage up to date, were the utility bills paid? Did he use his ATM or credit card? Did the folks at the local gas station notice him? If he has a cell phone, call the company. Even the top up prepaid kind have to be reupped at set intervels.

"have to be reupped at set intervels"

Did you mean refilled, recharged, renewed, etc?

Why do people insist on using this bastardized word these days, without realizing how stupid sounding it is. Up is a direction, not an action verb!

When people can't even bother to think of a good synonym that doesn't make them sound like a three year old, maybe we really are doomed to extinction...

sigh...how much does Newsvine pay you to be the grammar police? Maybe living languages should be based on actual usage. "Reup" is the world the nice lady robot at Virgin Mobile uses when she calls to remind me to put more money on my phone.

"sigh...how much does Newsvine pay you to be the grammar police?"

When somebody's trying to be profound but sounds like an infant instead, it's absolutely free!

"Maybe living languages should be based on actual usage."

Not when adults choose to babble like a baby. Look up the term Newspeak and realize that it's not a good thing to replace all of those wonderful terms with the generic "upped".

Just because a large company has an infantile marketing director who doesn't get how amazingly bad it sounds doesn't change the phrase from sounding like it came straight out of a three year old's mouth.

I don't believe it. The picture shows the snow on the ground about halfway up the side of the car, nearly two feet of snowpack and only about 6 inches on top of the vehicle. That doesn't look like any two months worth of snow to me. The guy probably lost track of time and doesn't really know how long he was there.

Hey Mensa Candidate MeanGene if you look at the photo you can see the snow was removed to extract the individual from the car. and is packed down where people were walking.

Domewars...you must be a real city slicker to make those comments...

Not everyone has a cellphone on them 24/7, Domewars.

As for why he didn't try to leave the car?!? Read the article; he was BURIED in the snow. The weight and mass of the snow around his car PREVENTED him from just 'leaving'. I'm pretty sure he would have tried to get out of his car if he could...

I hate it when people post without reading the article...

He should asked for help on Facebook... At least updated his status to "snowed under" or something... : )

If he wanted out of the car, rolling the windows down woujld work.

tom

The weight and mass of the snow prevented that. It wasn't as if the snow was up to the hubcaps... he was BURIED in it.

Damn, didn't ANYONE read the article past the headline?!?

So now we must believe he fell asleep for 2 or 3 days, inside the car to be buried in snow. Or does it snow 12 feet in serveral hours? Still skeptical.

Take enough pills and you can sleep for a few days.

Yeah! Was that a Volvo he was in? Speculation: " ... the man probably survived by going into a dormant-like state..." Maybe, he also missed Christmas and the New Year's party. He will have two months of Swedish checks to cash along with the many checks for his vacation time, hospital time, and others. I would make money off the "sleeping-bag" by advertising the company....."It Saved My Life, This Best Bag In The World," made in china....

I find this to be believable. For over a thousand years, for example, there have been Tibetan Buddhist Monks who are referred to as "cave dwellers." These guys hide themselves away in some mountain cave. Their quest is "enlightenment." Huh? Yep...All things aside, does this not beg the question is the Buddhist religion the most self serving or ego-centric of all the world's religions? It is said that they remain in these caves for years. The only way they know if the monk is dead is if that yearly bowl of mush has been left uneaten.

Just curious: u mean it is better to go forth and multiply or perhaps divide nations or add to the overpopulation problem? Or organize an Inquisition? I like folks who leave others alone and ask nothing of anybody. Not even TV! They are happy doing whatever or nothing. I am told doing nothing even for 15 mins twice day is amazing, makes you feel great and calms you. Absolutely nothing, just peacefuly shutting your eyes and sitting quietly. Hard to do? Maybe.

Anyway maybe he can now run evening classes in how to hibernate for survival.

All things aside, does this not beg the question is the Buddhist religion the most self serving or ego-centric of all the world's religions?

Huh? I believe Buddhists have the concept of the Boddhisattva, a person who has attained Nirvana but who remains on this earth in order to help suffering humanity. But what in Hades does any of that that have to do with this story?

bharati: I like to take short naps too! ;)

Anyway maybe he can now run evening classes in how to hibernate for survival.

I have a certain teenager in mind who could easily teach that course.

You clicked the link and you entered a response. What does that say about you?

Opinion: Sorry; no guns, blood, drug induced drownings, bomb blasts or train wrecks.

Just a story of survival under cruel and extreme conditions. Europe has had a horrible winter. A lot of people have died. This one survived. It was the first headline I read today.

N. American made....I agree...we have too few stories of survival

...let's celebrate instead of crying in a bucket !

if ya wan'a cry in a bucket...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPrixYOTNHw

@Lalo Cafe,

Did you read the entire article?? He could barely speak when he was found.

He does not understand English. They need to get someone to ask him "What at?" Only then will we have the answer.

Did you see the part about emaciated and too weak to utter more than a few words? Give the guy some time to recover, then ask him what happened!

talk about smell funny ...i bet a few snow frogs melted...in side his vehicle...

@Robbie

uh, did you not read the article? he was so weak that he could only utter a few words... just wait it out, and i am sure that you will hear the rest of the story.

lol stop eating for two months and establish a permanent state of hypothermia ... I'm sure you'll be a real chatterbox

Even as he startd getting his strength back, I'm sure he was still confused, though probably not quite as much as you are...

Your classmate's x wife is a liar. I know her.

If this had been a soap opera he would have been prancing around as soon as they dug him out, but since this is real life, let's give the dude some time to gain some strength. What an interesting story he'll have to share.

Why are you glad? He may very well be a cold blooded killer or a pedophile who has ruined the lives of 100 or more little children. Maybe he has killed his wife and children then drove off only to....

@MrCool,

So we can kill him later??

MrCool...get out more...

you're "loosing it" in that pile of whatever it is you've been feeding yourself

MrCool--Why are you assuming he's a pedophile/murderer? You have no reason to think that. People get lost, slide off roads, it's not that unusual that a car gets trapped in the woods. I've read many stories of people losing their way and getting stuck and dying. This guy lived. It's a good thing. Why do you assume he is horrible?

Projection?

Nevermind

@Robbie,

I do believe that MrCool was being just a little sarcastic..

I agree, sleeping bag, clothes, socks and shoes made a big differences, as long as he stayed in the car with not much movement. Also he had the snow as a source of water, and also remember he may have had heat before the battery died out and he may have had something to snack on in the car. But I'm pretty sure he was in a very bad state when they found him.

Lucky for him he is a Swede! They are a strong-willed bunch. Yes, he was in quite bad shape when they found him-- but he was alive. The Swedes know how to handle cold weather.

Yeah, Susie, you can always tell a Swede, but you can't tell 'em much.

Christmas

Christmas in Swedish is - JUL

Or what ever they call it in Swedish.

I think they call it "Klausterfökken". Or is that a table from IKEA? I don't know.

he should have done a Swedish yodel...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvP-Jen_AgM&feature=related

Dman, bears don't hibernate, either. They sleep. They can awake at any time they like and defend their dens.

King of the lab!

Dman::: He is a Swede, not an American. They know cold weather.

Thank you for pointing out that bears don't really hibernate, Peridot. You can get into a lot of trouble if you run across a sleeping bear and assume you're safe, especially since the cubs are usually born while mama is sleeping. But she isn't sleeping as deeply as all THAT...

Peridot - you are correct. Bears do not go into full hibernation. But they are able to do things which humans cannot do, such as survive for several months with a dramatically lower than normal temperature and no food.

Susie, I'd say it is doubtful that even a Swede or other dweller in the high latitudes could survive for so long under such conditions.

Something about this story doesn't pass the sniff-test.

Raymond::: And a post from someone who knows Americans and not Swedes.

e·ma·ci·a·tion*

 [ih-mey-shee-ey-shuhn, -see-]

noun
1.abnormal thinness caused by lack of nutrition or by disease.

One weeps for the state of education in this country. The evident glee with which some are willing to demonstrate their own lack to the world also appalls.

*dictionary.com

Peridot, it matters not if you understand each word when you have no comprehension skills. The question at hand was more of how much total weight loss occured, rather than the final state of the individual. Maybe you should be less critical of others?

From Wikipedia: Skepticism or Scepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts,^[1] or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere.

Yes, I too weep for the state of education in this country and Sweden.

@fawjfawi,

O man I just had a visual of that...YIKES !!!

melting snow frogs...woooeeee...stank'n...

There would be few feces. No input = little output. IQs must be lower than ever in the US. We're surrounded by nitwits and idiots who cannot read and comprehend little or nothing.

sounds like christmas is over and the easter bunny ain't happy...cheer up...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oiRA4AiM5I&feature=related

You can't @!$%# if you dont eat ...

I wondered about that myself. All defecation would stop in absence of solid food after about 2 or 3 days -- possibly the man dug a hole in the snow through car window to dispose of the feces and the feces froze? Hmm not a whole lot of room in the buried car, so it's likely he just defecated while squatting onto the floor of the car and just left it there... might have done this in the front passenger seat area to keep more distance between himself and the feces. Probably urinated onto the floor of the car. If he had any plastic or glass containers to urine into, probably could have dumped the feces/urine out of car by opening window and digging a hole in the snow.... Urination however would continue daily while he was drinking melted snow... so amount of urine would be a better indicator of how long he stayed in car. But it's a good guess that there was quite a stench in the car which he would have had to get used to. It probably smelled horrible at first, but then his nose acclimated to the odour. No toilet paper available, so he may have used some clothing or rags to wipe his anal area, or perhaps didn't wipe at all... I would really like to hear more about this story and its details later.

You seem awfully interesting the details involving elimination. Not trying to play Dr. Freud here, just saying.

Good grief Harry, I believe you are obsessing over this. Please calm down and take a deep breath.

Thanks,

dano

Harry Baung, can you be aliiiiiiiiittle bit more specific?

well.. if the man had eaten corn previous to being stuck in the forest, he would've had an endless supply of "refurbished" food..... what?... too early?

I'm quite sure he did his business in the snow.

I travel with a sleeping bag in my car in the winter when I go anywhere outside of my town.. Blizzards and snow storms can get pretty bad here in ND and MT.. You always pack emergency type items and food if you go on a long trip in the winter incase something bad does happen... I have, and I always will.

...very little in...very little out...

If you live in a cold climate, it is very smart to keep supplies, warm clothes and a sleeping bag in your car at all times as one day, it may save your life.

People who live in those countries prepare for such eventualities because they live less in denial than we do in the US. It saved his life. One hopes he won't have suffered brain damage as a result of lack of nutrition. It happens sometimes in such cases.

Just so you know it, Sweden is several notches above US in standard of living, so I agree it is strange he did not have cell phone, they had it several years for everyone before US, and they live right next to Nokia made in Finland.--But they are Swedes, with their unusual ways.

I don't run around with a sleeping bag in my car

People living in subarctic climates DO carry blankets or sleeping bags in their cars in the winter. My husband went to college in Canada and insists that's the norm there.

Did you NOT read the article?!? He was buried in his car in the snow... the mass and weight of the snow kept him TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE. Where would he start a fire?Inside his car?

Jeez, I really hate it when people post after just reading the headline.

i think tumble weed was say'n...he should have gotten out more...

He could have open/broken a window and dug his way out..... that would take a lot of effort, but it could be done!

oh? are you sure it wasn't $7174?

He could have open/broken a window and dug his way out..... that would take a lot of effort, but it could be done!

And he's have died trying to find his way back to civilization.

Yeah, because I'm sure being trapped in his vehicle was his first choice.

I'm sure he would've broke a window if there weren't TONS of SNOW encasing it....