How did a man buried in this frozen car for two months come out of it alive?
Astonishing tale of survival from Sweden as 44-year-old endures temperature of -30C with only ice to sustain him
Monday 20 February 2012
Related articles
Swedish doctors and survival experts were calling it the "case of a lifetime" yesterday after an emaciated and near-speechless 44-year-old man was dragged from an icebound car, claiming he had been inside the vehicle for two months.
The man, identified as Peter Skyllberg, was discovered on Friday by a group of snowmobile drivers. They spotted his snow-covered car parked at the end of a track in a forest near the town of Umea, about 260km north of Stockholm in Sweden's frozen north, where temperatures hit -30C.
After brushing off a 2ft-thick crust of snow covering the vehicle, they were shocked to see a man curled up in a ball on the back seat, wrapped in a sleeping bag. Photographs of the inside of the car published yesterday showed the dashboard and driving seat coated with frost and ice.
Ebbe Nyberg, one of a team of policemen called to the scene, said: "He was in a very poor state. He said he had been there for a very long time and survived on a little snow."
Police said they believed his account.
An ambulance was called to the scene. Looking weak, pale, emaciated and scarcely able to speak, Mr Skyllberg was taken out of the back of the car and transported to the Noorland University hospital in Umea. He told astounded doctors that he had been snowed up inside the car since 19 December. Their patient was reported to be making a slow, but steady, recovery yesterday. Doctors said a healthy person who was sufficiently warm would normally expect to survive without food for a maximum of four weeks.
"But this is the case of a lifetime," Dr Ulf Segerberg, chief medical officer at Noorland hospital, said.
"Starvation for one month, anyone can tolerate that if they have water to drink. If you have body fat, you will survive even longer, although you end up looking like someone coming from a concentration camp."
Photographs from inside the vehicle appeared to show food and drinks wrappers, indicating he may have had some supplies in the car.
Dr Segerberg estimated Mr Skyllberg had lost between 15 and 20kg during his ordeal. Police and medical authorities offered different explanations for his survival. Dr Segerberg said he believed the snow covering the car had acted like an igloo and had kept the inside temperature sufficiently warm. However, Dr Stefan Branth, a doctor an Uppsala University, said he believed his metabolism may slowed down "like a bear that hibernates".
There was no immediate explanation as to why Mr Skyllberg's disappearance hadn't been reported by friends or relatives.
Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper said that Mr Skyllberg had been struggling to pay off debts of about 1.6m Krona (£150,000) and a court had ruled that his rented home should be confiscated.
-
Emergency landing at Heathrow sparks further controversy over London airport capacity
-
Unrest may spread across Europe, warns Red Cross chief
-
French government seeks to ban extreme right-wing group
-
BNP and EDL accused of attempt to fuel racial hatred after Woolwich terror attack
-
You want to get an Eton scholarship? All you need to do is answer four (not so simple) questions
- 1 What, let gays get married? We must be bonkers
- 2 Rocky Horror star Tim Curry 'suffers major stroke'
- 3 Exclusive: How MI5 blackmails British Muslims
- 4 Lord of the Sings: Sir Christopher Lee, 91, to release heavy metal album
- 5 Exclusive: Woolwich killings suspect Michael Adebolajo was inspired by cleric banned from UK after urging followers to behead enemies of Islam
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Visit York
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Making reading fun for kids
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Introducing the 'Get Reading' campaign
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Independent Dating
Day In a Page
Johnny Marr talks relationships and reunions
In pictures: After the flood
Death becomes her: A very modern mortician
School of chop: Learning the art of butchery
The man who's eaten everywhere
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?






Comments