It had already been four days since anyone had heard from Joe Jouret’s 81-year-old brother. His departure down a mountain pass in California was followed by a series of winter storms in the area, and a search and rescue operation began.
After almost a week, an H80 search helicopter spotted what looked like a “rock” half-buried in snow. Alive in his Ford Focus, hand out of his window, Jouret’s brother was waving.
The 81-year-old had been heading home from Big Pine, California, northbound to Gardnerville, Nevada, but had taken an alternate route due to storm closures on Highway 395. Instead, he opted for Highway 168 leading into Death Valley National Park….