While most people celebrated Christmas with their loved ones, snuggled in warm clothes to fight off the cold winter, one unlucky guy spent this special day stranded on a back road far, far away from home in subzero temperatures while his family and friends worried for his safety. It was a miracle that he made it back alive but his road to safety was not an easy one. After being rescued, he is finally telling his survival story.
A Christmas hunting trip takes a wrong turn
Dave Quiser , 72, telling his survival story after being rescued
Dave Quiser is a 72-year-old retired sheriff’s deputy, decided that hunting on Christmas in below-freezing temperatures would somehow be a good idea. He quickly regretted his decision after being stuck in bad weather without a cell phone or any other means of contacting his family.
Quiser recalled the dreadful night saying that at one point he had lost all hopes of returning home and thought that he was going to freeze to death. The hunter eventually mustered enough strength to crawl out of his truck and walk in the terrible weather until he reached safety. Dave said that his limbs had started going numb and he was afraid that if he fell, he would go in a bind with no prospects of recovery.
A hunter gone missing
The grouse-hunting day made Quiser lose all hopes of returning home
Quiser had left his home in Minneapolis early on Christmas morning with intention of hunting a few grouse for dinner but his truck got stuck on an old back road while the temperature outside dropped to -30 degrees. As the night drew closer, Quiser’s friends and family became increasingly worried about his safety.
Concerned family members didn’t know how to get in touch with him since he didn’t take his cellphone with him so they decided to head out in the freezing cold to look for Quiser. The night was equally tough for both the retired deputy sheriff and his family who were searching everywhere for him. The 72-year-old spent the night in his truck as the temperature continued to drop even further.
Quiser’s daughter Dana decided to call the police to report her missing father and the police department immediately dispatched a search crew to look for him.
The nearest main road was three miles away from the location Quiser’s truck got stuck
A three-mile walk in subzero temperatures
Dana said that she felt absolutely helpless that night not knowing what condition her father was in or what was going through his mind at the time. Later, the sheriff’s office in St. Louis County released a public appeal to watch out for a hunter who was reported missing at 10 p.m. on Christmas eve. The Volunteer Rescue Squad was also alerted about the incident but despite all search efforts, Quiser had not been located.
After no rescuers came looking for him, the retired deputy decided that it was time to help himself if there was any chance of survival. He got out of his truck, with his hands and feet numb due to the cold and walked his way to the main road which was three miles away. Quiser said that he had never attempted to walk more than a mile due to his emphysema but he knew he had to do the impossible in order to survive.
Finally made it alive… but a few fingers short
After making it through the first two miles, Quiser’s legs gave up on him and he fell on his knees. The ice ripped through his clothes, making his knees bleed, but he didn’t give up. The 72-year-old crawled the remaining mile until he was able to reach the road. At one point, he had even thought about giving up but the thought of his daughter and the rest of his family gave him strength.
Soon, a truck stopped after seeing Quiser lying close to the icy road and the driver rushed to his aid. Quiser was taken to the hospital where he received treatment for severe hypothermia. His daughter and granddaughter, along with the rest of the family, stayed by Quiser’s side until he fully recovered. Despite losing a few fingers to frostbites, he hasn’t lost his sense of humor as he jokingly said that he would now have to use his elbows for typing.
