Girl Scout Cookies And Cheese Puffs Saved The Lives Of Two Sisters Stranded For Weeks
Girl Scout cookies and a bag of cheese puffs were all that stood between sisters Lee Wright and Leslie Roy possible starvation. The situation was akin to a horror movie, with the two women trapped in a car surrounded by deep snow for nearly two weeks. With no working cellphone, Leslie and Lee couldn’t tell worried family members their location: A wooded area in northern Luce County, Michigan.
The sisters first went missing on April 11. They made the journey to Michigan to visit family members in Ishpeming. After getting stranded on the journey home, the two sisters said that they attempted to dial 911 multiple times. Unfortunately, there was no service available.
Sisters Survive Two Weeks Stranded In The Woods By Eating Girl Scout Cookies http://t.co/F7i0X5nJBm pic.twitter.com/PnSrDvphPZ
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@myfoxla) April 26, 2015
Anyone else may have given up, but the quick-thinking duo looked to their limited resources to keep them alive until help could find them. They had eight boxes of Girl Scout cookies and a bag of cheese puffs as food and the snow around them to melt and drink as water. The sisters were well protected from the cold thanks to their winter clothing. Even with these factors on their side, as days passed, the hope of rescue likely began to dim.
Then, nearly two weeks after the sisters went missing, a miracle occurred. Authorities had been working hard to locate the missing pair, with seemingly nothing to go off. That’s when authorities reportedly turned to Facebook. One of the sisters had asked about Tahquamenon Falls; it turns out that this landmark was very close to their actual location. A helicopter was sent to the area in hopes of finding them, which is exactly what happened.
“We circled, and we could see the vehicle, and then they came out of their vehicle waving their arms.”
Police were surprised to find that not only were the sisters surprisingly well, but they seemed to be rather healthy despite their ordeal. Michigan State Police Detective Sgt. Jeff Marker found the situation “remarkable”. He was also impressed with their ability to ration food in order to ensure their mutual survival.
“When we pulled up, they grabbed their purses, and Lee Wright clutched onto her Bible and both women were very happy. It was hugs all around.”
The women told rescuers that they suspected a bear had visited their vehicle multiple times in the night. They initially thought it was the footsteps of rescuers, but when no help came, they feared the worst. Thankfully they were found before anything tragic could have occurred.
While Girl Scout cookies have gotten some flack in recent years about their healthiness, there’s at least one pair of sisters who probably will be eternally grateful.
[Image Credit: Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar]
