Disaster In Death Valley | A Couple Stranded in the Desert

In today's post, For Alex Lofgren and Emily Henkel, the extremes of Death Valley National Park will show to be hard to overcome. With 2 flat tires in a remote part of Death Valley, the couple embarks on a life or death mission to find help which required trekking through treacherous terrain. Death Valley is one of the last places you want to be stranded in...

0:00 Introduction
0:21 Death Valley National Park
1:57 The Alex Lofgren and Emily Henkel Story
13:03 The Alex Lofgren Legacy
15:19 Conclusion/Survival Tips

Much of this script was transcribed from Emily's own words on the Natalie Jones Podcast "Emily Henkel – You did it. *Live recording from Fretboard Brewing Company on June 7th 2021"

Music by Scott Buckley "Omega"

#Disaster #DeathValley #nationalpark

[outdoordisasters]

If you want to see me pumping out more content, please buy me some fuel!


Corretion: Alex Lofgren was a Marine, not in the Army.

[alexross]

I'm sorry, but living in Utah, these people made a lot of really crucial mistakes. The mountains in this part of the country are no joke- deciding to instead of going back the road they came in on, venture up into a mountain pass with no gear was a terrible idea. They didn't have a PLB like a garmin inreach, and frankly, if they truly believed they were in big trouble, they should've tried to drive the car out the way they came. Once it car was done, whether the rims collapsed or something else, walk from there. You should NEVER abandon your vehicle and hike on foot into unknown mountains.

[Rusty.]

There is no reason why this situation should have gotten to the point of life or death. The vehicle had 2 flat tires and only 1 spare.
To everyone watching, it doesn't matter if the vehicle has 4 flat tires and no spare, The vehicle is still mobile. They could have still slowly driven the vehicle back to safety. 💚💚

[limyrob]

I was listening to some survival advice from a mountain rescue team recently. They were very clear - never leave a trail to make your way down a mountain and never follow a water course to get down. The majority of fatalities began with a fall and broken limb trying to get down a steep face. This fits that pattern exactly and it was all avoidable, they were on a trail and they had a car. The reason the advice is always stay with the vehicle is that its easy to see from the air, no surprise that it was found first.

[fontcaicoya]

Respectfully to both Alex and Emily... I wish they'd taken the easy way back home. There was no logical reason, no excuse to head to Mormon Point on a trail neither of them were familiar with. Unless the way you came is even more treacherous than the point you stop at, GO BACK THE WAY YOU CAME. ALWAYS. It's just not worth the risk. These two should still be living normal lives, it's such an utter shame.
Rest in peace.

[mojavewanderer]

I was in Death Valley that weekend, and had planned to go into the Gold Valley area. My truck started overheating though, so I never made it to Gold Valley. It was about a 15 mile hike from where their car was found to where I was camped. If they would have followed the road out, I would have seen them.

Thanksgiving weekend of 2019, I rescued someone from just north of the Gold Valley road. His vehicle had broken down, and he said I was the first person he’d seen in 3 days. I ended up driving him to Furnace Creek to get help.

[FollowGodsWord]

Thanks to all the search and rescue workers who offer hope to stranded hikers like this.

[slayeractual]

About 30 years ago, I was with 3 of my buddies when we had a vehicle break down in the Mojave Desert. Day one was pretty easy since we all thought another vehicle would come by eventually and all we had to do was get them to stop and help. No vehicles came by. Day two was spent arguing about whether two of us walked for help and the other two stayed with the vehicle. Those in favor of walking thought it was a good idea to pair up since no one person would be on their own walking or waiting. Finally after much discussion it was decided we all stay with the vehicle. That was also the day we ran out of water. The temps were well over 100 degrees.

Day three all of us were hurting pretty bad since it had been since the afternoon prior without water. We had shade and food, but the lack of water was by far our biggest concern and greatest danger. It wasn't until almost noon that day we finally saw a truck going by about half a mile away (we broke down off the main trail). All four of us starting waving and yelling at the truck. One of my buddies was standing on the top of our vehicle waving his shirt. It was a huge moment for all of us when we saw the truck make an immediate stop and then turn towards us.

The man drove up to us and of course the first thing we asked was if he had any water. He had a little bit and gave it to us. He said he had just left his camp where he had plenty more and would return with some. An hour later he came back with food, water, and some of his friends to help us get our truck running again and back on the road.

We all learned many lessons that weekend, but I know our biggest mistake was not rationing the water we had on day one. We all assumed help was near and would come by quickly. We may not have made all the best decisions, but finally agreeing to stay put probably saved at least two lives.

[hermosafieldsforever]

Stay with your vehicle people. Stay on the road. I have been to Death Valley many times. Even the camp grounds can be deadly. If you go to Death Valley for 3 nights bring 2 weeks worth of water and rations. Stay with your vehicle, stay on the road, period

[mariella]

In 2017 I worked in Death Valley for a while, it was a one of a kind experience.
One day during a hike, I truly understood what DV could do. The heat just minutes in became so oppressive my body shut down fast, I almost lay down right there knowing I would die.

I passed out in the same restroom that a man tragically did pass away in just recently from the heat. It’s very serious. ❤

[ihuman]

For anyone out there who doesn’t know, you can still drive a car even with flat tires

[longrider]

Rule NUMBER One, if you get stranded with your vehicle, out in desert like they did. Stay with the Car! It is so much easier to see from the air, then two people walking. Number 2, Never hike in the desert in the day time, way to hot. Yes I used to teach wilderness survival, and I live in Wyoming, so we have some pretty dry places here. And if you think your carrying enough water, double it.

[PInkW]

I rode my bicycle across Death Valley
2 times. Never leave the main line.

[Inkling]

Lots of good advice. I will summarize. (1) Stay with the vehicle. It is far easier to see. (2) Unless you know the route ahead well, go back the way you came even if it is longer. No unknowns like that waterfall. (3) In the desert, travel at night and find shelter during the day. (4) Carry far more water than you need. In the desert, water is life. (5) Your vehicle doesn't count. Sacrifice it to save yourself. In this case that would have meant driving out with one flat tire and the undercarriage scrapping on rocks. (6) Carry a satellite two-way texting device such as the Garmin InReach or the Zoleo. Unlike cellular, if you can see the sky, you can signal for help.

[mikaross]

They could have changed one tire and driven back on the bad one. I don't understand the decision to jump into a giant canyon and waterfall. It just doesn't make sense to me. You have fantastic narration. I look forward to move of your videos.

[Wavicle]

This is completely surreal. At about 5:30PM they broke down. They were approximately an 11 hour hike/walk to Shoshone, CA back the way they came. Even if exactly zero cars stopped for them, and somebody turned off the cell towers covering the highway, they still could have been showering and getting some much needed sleep the next morning if they had walked back the way they came. It would have been at night, which means minimal sweating (it's chilly in that desert at night). It would not have been fun with nearly 3, 000 feet of elevation to climb, but the moon was at its last quarter (half full, rises late, stays up all night) giving them adequate illumination for foot navigation until dawn.

Had they given up at the waterfall and turned back, they would have wasted about 5 miles of hiking total. Most of which was along a spring-fed creek with foliage cover. They could have rested there during the day and hiked out the way they came that night. In a desert survival situation, you *never* travel by foot during the day unless you absolutely have to. Rule #1 of desert survival: conserve sweat, not water.

[wayneaune]

I do not want to criticize, but I think this may save lives. If you are on road go back the way you came. I think they said 22 miles. Once you know you cannot fix car start the way back. They say stay with car, but rescue will come down the road you are on. It is safer and easier to follow a road. Even some tourist trails can be confusing and you can become lost.

[mardicheriex]

Here in australia when we drive to remote areas its customary to have two spare tyres, fix kit, compressor, and tool kit with spare oil/ water, fuel for vehicle, and survival kit for us, and a satellite phone, uhf radio, with remote charging batteries, a roll fence wire, axe and hammer strange but it works, bale twine good for getting out of strife, Be careful, enjoy each day, I’m really enjoying these channels, thanks.

[kennyw]

Anyone that does "off road" traveling should watch this video and take mental notes. Needless to say costly mistakes were made that could have been prevented.

[normanq]

Just came back from a trip to Death Valley a few weeks ago. I rented a Garmin InReach handheld satellite communicator to bring with me on the trip. Cellphone coverage is very spotty in Death Valley. I hardly used the device during the trip, but it's better safe than sorry.