Disaster In Death Valley | A Couple Stranded in the Desert

Better audio mixing of this story can be found here: • Lost Beyond Civilizati...
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"
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Music by Scott Buckley "Omega"
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[@outdoordisasters]

If you want to see me pumping out more content, please buy me some fuel! www.buymeacoffee.com/outdoordisasters Corretion: Alex Lofgren was a Marine, not in the Army.

[@ihuman7253]

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

[@Thresher326]

This guy should have known that. Bizarre.

[@keithangstadt4950]

On the pavement. Its a different story on dirt roads.

[@geometerfpv2804]

​@@keithangstadt4950If the dirt roads in the video were accurate, they absolutely could've driven. Would've destroyed their rims, which is probably why they didn't do it. I don't think they realized they had much bigger problems at that point.

[@MrTexaspete30]

They had 1 spare so they definitely could have driving it 22 miles

[@harish123az]

Not in jungle and other off road terrain, its so clear most of the smug commentators have never been out of city streets

[@alexross4062]

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.

[@outdoordisasters]

Very true. This tragedy was so avoidable. Cost the young man his life. They had food, water, and a vehicle. No reason to go.

[@deecee901]

Right? 22 miles could be accomplished in 2 days. Sad..

[@garyp9906]

I agree. I see all the time on tv where people are being chased by cops and their tires are all flat. Some reach speeds of 60 mph or so. I would have driven the vehicle out on the one flat tire, since they had a spare.

[@yoseflaurent3376]

You are exactly right. They could have replaced one wheel with the spare one and filled the other blown tire with gravel or clothes, or grass or just anything they could find. This could have enabled them to ride back, at a slow speed, probably many miles with the car and even, as a last resort, they could still have ridden a few more miles on the rims. At any rate, a good idea would have been to have at least two sound tires on your motorized wheels. I see two possible reasons why their tires blew out. Either they were driving too fast on this dirt road full of sharp rocks, or the pressure in the tires had increased too much because of the heat. Always a good idea to check tire pressure, especially when driving in a remote location with very hot weather. Besides, if at some point they had really been forced to leave the car, even where they actually left it, the only sound choice would have been to walk back in their car's tracks, the 22 miles that they knew would lead them to the main road wherefrom they had come. I suspect that their choice was guided in part by the appeal of the unknown and the prospect of a possibly very picturesque hiking itinerary with splendid landscape of desolate wilderness. That choice, however exciting, would prove wrong.

[@holdersteven]

It's easier to find a car than a body

[@limyrob1383]

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.

[@LizaLavolta]

Noted. Honestly my fear of heights would keep me from ever doing that.

[@manfredstrappen7491]

Also, SAR only finds people who fall when they “leave a trail or follow a water course”. The others make it out and don’t need SAR.

[@chrisx5127]

@@LizaLavolta And this fear can save your life. Many people don't have fear of height and it cost them.

[@chrislake552]

I had no idea I get to enjoy free access to national parks due to this guy. Much respect. RIP, brother.

[@outdoordisasters]

Thank you for your service!

[@Dahmer_Jeff]

What do you mean

[@Rusty.1776]

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. 💚💚

[@rider6500]

My initial reaction was to put the 2 good tires on the front and the bad ones on the rear, dragging them behind. But even better would have been to leave just one punctured tire on the rear left. With the passenger in the rear right seat the bad tire would probably not even have ground contact and they could have driven on for a long distance without riding on rims. You're right, totally avoidable desaster.

[@RaviStarr7]

Yeah, that always confuses me with survival stories. Even if all tires pop, you can drive the vehicle at least a ways.

[@frankmarano1118]

I was just gonna say I know I've seen in police chases cars driving on 3 rims & 1 tire before. Why would they not go as far as they could with the car? Yeah it's gonna damage the rims badly but stick the spare on the front tire & let the rims drag from behind.. Also it was incredibly dumb to not go back to the main road. Even walking you can do 22 miles of flat road relatively quickly. It's long but not THAT long. They have been at the road that very day, no hiking required just road. If they did a pace of 2 miles an hour theyd have been at the main road by 3 pm. They had the supplies for this. People shouldn't go hiking in extremely dangerous areas if they haven't done any research into how to hike safety. Them going the dangerous way but placing arrows to point to them just seems like they watched too many movies.. if you going back to the main road you don't need to waste time with that as anyone would pass you naturally. I do feel very bad for them, they were clearly in over their heads & not prepared for this. RIP Edit: oh my God I just got to the part where she saw him fall & decided to go down when she can't even help him down there anyways & fall herself. I'm sorry but these 2 had zero common sense, this is ridiculous. I know I'd want to get down there if my significant other fell but I'd also know i can't get help if I'm down there so I'd run to the main road. I'm not a doctor, I'd be useless down there. & they went blindly down a cliff not knowing there was another cliff right after it? I have no words.. they really did watch too many movies..

[@frankmarano1118]

​​​​@@rider6500 Only the 2 side tires were punctured. They had a spare so they only needed to replace the 1 messed up front tire, the other front tire did not need changing. Only 1 of the back tires would've been dragging because the other one was fine so there's no need for 2 bad back tires lol

[@frankmarano1118]

@Ayn Rand Is Dead Oh yeah that's absolutely a good point about the well paved roads. Still as I've seen others point out after I wrote that they still should've at least gone as far as they possibly could until the car couldn't go anymore. They didnt even try. With 3 tires including the 2 most important tires on the front & only one rim dragging behind they may have been able to get at least halfway back to the main road before it finally couldn't go anymore. But still you brought up a really good point. & at least if they went back the way they came they could've walked to the main road within 12 hours & they had supplies for days so this wouldn't have been an issue. But nothing comes close to them deciding to climb down massive cliffs not even knowing it leads to a 100 ft cliff drop off & to try it WITHOUT any gear! This decision really makes me think they just watched WAYY too many movies man. They thought they could pull off a super survival movie thing. But yeah their vehicle choice was another bad choice, that's another really good point as well

[@mojavewanderer7719]

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.

[@outdoordisasters]

WOW! Just think, you could've been their lifeline if not for the car troubles. I've been to DV once, but on the paved roads. Going back soon. Just got a 4x4 and want to go to Racetrack Playa. It's deep in DV and you have to go down that road prepared and with the right rig.

[@Rendarth1]

@@outdoordisasters The key to the Racetrack is to have beefy offroad tires. The road is actually graded and looks deceptively easy (sometimes even to passenger cars), but the sharp rock can and does shred factory/stock tires like nothing. On the bright side, it's well traveled and you'll definitely find help if something happens.

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

@@Rendarth1 I went out to the Racetrack in a RAV4 with regular all-season tires. I made it there and back OK but that wasn't smart, I won't do that again without the vehicle and tires for it. I think they keep the road like that because they don't want people going out there. Interesting side-note, when I got out to the Racetrack, there were two college-aged girls in a Hyundai Elantra just getting out of the car. I was like "Damn!" I nicknamed that road "The Ass-breaker". I saw them leave about 5 minutes ahead of me and they drove that car like it was stolen, I was fully expecting to come across them broken down on the way back. Sure enough, I saw them right where the road becomes pavement again at Ubehebe Crater. Their car was smoking from under the hood, stopped, and there was a pool of fluid under the car. It was getting dark so I couldn't see what color the fluid was. I didn't stop because a Park Ranger was just pulling up. One girl had her cell phone out while yelling and crying, she was probably freaking out because there was no cell signal there. About 5 miles from there, there's a ranger station with cell coverage (but VERY limited, you have to be in the parking lot). That's the only cell coverage in a 40-mile circle. As for that Hyundai car, I don't know if that was a rental or graduation gift from daddy. I'm just curious as to what insurance would cover, it was a clear case of abuse. I guess that's one of those "f**k around and find out" situations.

[@Rendarth1]

@@Skank_and_Gutterboy Having made it back to pavement, they at least have a chance with insurance depending on the story that gets told, heh. And it's definitely true that rangers don't want people on the Racetrack. But on the other hand, there's not much you can do about the nature of the rock other than paving everything....which obviously wouldn't be ideal.

[@kellyharper367]

Old disabled house bound dusty rusty rockhound here: I lived in Mesa, AZ for a while. I learned if going out in the desert....best to take extra supplies...trouble shoot the "what-ifs"... Use 2 vehicles and go in groups with replacement rubbers ( belts, hoses, tires, and tools needed) ...don't go during the hottest part of the year! Saved our butts several times.

[@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.

[@alysononoahu8702]

They headed to the thriving metropolis. Of mormon pointThey thought they would head to mormon point to ridiculous

[@jeepliving1]

I just came across this channel and was immediately blown away by the content. Very respectful to the victims, not sensationalized, and high quality production values. Subscribed for sure.

[@fontcaicoya5686]

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.

[@outdoordisasters]

Well said.

[@joeglennaz]

Why didn’t they have a personal locator beacon? I don’t understand. This is drives me crazy why people don’t carry these devices I don’t ever go any place remote like this. I have one I just hiked here locally in Phoenix in the middle of the city in the mountain preserve, but I still carry one.

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

I would also advise serious caution if you choose to go off-trail. I was out in Death Valley just before Christmas 2021. I hiked Golden Canyon and found out later that day that somebody the week before had died when they were in that area hiking off-trail and got caught in a rock-slide.

[@rulistening7777]

That man had to know better. So why go die ?

[@pap4539]

@@joeglennaz in an interview she said they had an Inreach in their rei online cart but just hadn't pulled the trigger on it yet. its easy to sit here in front of a laptop and talk about what they should've done, but we weren't there and didn't experience what they experienced. I get it to an extent. I didn't start carrying an Inreach until I started doing multi day, overnight, and multi night hikes. I'd hiked hundreds of miles on day hikes before I got one in 2017. I didn't even know they existed. And I believe the Inreach is still in the $300 range?? If that's the case, that's potentially the cost of a weeklong trip. It's like carrying a water filter even when you don't need one. How many people actually do that? I didn't until I ran out of water on a day hike a couple years ago. Anyways, I'm just pointing out that it's easy for us to point out mistakes that led to a tragic incident that we didn't experience. I've made a couple mistakes in the backcountry, and thankfully they didn't lead to anything disastrous. Any of us who've spent enough time in nature have made at least one small mistake that potentially could've lead to a life or death scenario. Great things aren't accomplished if you don't fudge a few things along the way.

[@mikaross4671]

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.

[@Weapon12]

Yeah they made about every wrong decision possible.

[@outdoordisasters]

Thank you so much!!

[@RuminatingWizard]

Stay with the vehicle no matter what.

[@HammerHed13]

@@dogguy555 The SAR professionals universally recommend staying with the vehicle. Much easier to spot from the air. Take off walking..well good luck.

[@leecromer3289]

@@HammerHed13 …and set fire to the bust tyres so the smoke can be seen…

[@anais4766]

What makes your channel different and nice is you always save some useful survival tips/common sense at the end, very very thoughtful. Not only telling the story, but also effort put in to potentially help/save someone in future. Admire that.

[@squiggleworks9]

I just did a guided day trip to the Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona which has landscape similar to this. The canyon offered lots of shelter from the sun, but we were outside for about 30 minutes and it was absolutely brutal. We all of course had water and were never far from air conditioned vehicles and a building but I looked around and realized I wouldn’t want to be. The place is completely inhospitable to life

[@longrider42]

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.

[@jpogigtxcr1778]

Specially that rescue party will most probably start by what ever trail / road, their vehicles are able to drive thru.

[@urbancyclist1]

Good idea

[@joeglennaz]

Number one have a personal locator beacon. This gets me so angry that people don’t have these devices one push of a button in the cavalry comes. And I don’t mean a satellite communicator like a Garmin in reach. I need a real personal locator beacon that has five want to full power a battery that last five years and it’s part of the world wide search and rescue network. It works anywhere in the world. No monthly fee.

[@RRaucina]

Everyone forgets that a burning tire in such a wilderness will get all sorts of attention. They should have had at least 5 chances in that regard. 6 if you count burning the car too.

[@charleshoang566]

Why don't people venture into desert in the fall or winter instead of summer.

[@slayer8actual]

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.

[@ruthnolan13]

Yep! Staying with your vehicle was better than walking out in the 100 degree daytime temps - with little water, you would've gotten heat exhaustion or worse pretty quickly. However, not sure how far out you were but if you were say 30 miles or less to safety, along the dirt roads you came in on, and you were all young and fit, walking out at night would have probably been safe enough, much cooler, out of glaring sun, and you could've done 30 miles in 8-10 hours (depending on terrain) under cover of dark. Glad you survived! I once walked 25 miles out of the Mojave to nearest paved road (then hitched a ride into town) w. a friend when our truck broke down...luckily, it was winter and not hot.

[@slayer8actual]

@@ruthnolan13 I left out some details for brevity but since you brought up some good points, I'd like to add a few things. We drove in that area during the night so early the next morning when we broke down, we really didn't know exactly where we were. We had a good idea but not an exact location. Remember this was long before GPS and we were in unmapped areas with no roads and few trails. We were navigating with a topographical map and compass. And when we broke down, it was in a valley where all the mountains looked the same from our location. Day one was pretty relaxed since we had seen other vehicles out there the day before, and we thought another one would come by soon. We really didn't even consider walking back to town which we estimated to be about 10 or 15 miles away...."in that general direction" Day two after we ran out of water was when we started talking about walking back but that was also when we realized our water was going to run out very soon. In other words, whoever walked back would have to do so with little to no water. Even 10 miles under those conditions; over 100 F, rough terrain, climbing, no shade and no water, and in a direction we weren't 100% sure was correct, pretty much guaranteed someone would probably not make it. That was where the arguing began - who gets the water - the person(s) walking or the ones staying put? Some of us did not want to send all of our water out with someone who was probably not going to get to town anyway. I know that sounds bad, but that was our argument - send the water on a walk and all four die. Keep the water with the vehicle and at least two survive. FINALLY, we all agreed all of us would stay with the vehicle. And the water ran out anyway. By day three we were all committed to the vehicle. None of us were any shape to even think of walking back. The only thing we tried was climbing the nearest hill to look around. Myself and another friend climbed a few hundred feet up a hill and saw what looked like a vehicle trail about half a mile away. We went back down and talked about walking out to the trail to ensure someone saw us if they passed by. While were talking about it was when we saw the truck going by that we eventually signaled to us. It was a hell of a weekend. Something I still remember all these years later, and because of it, I have trained many others about outdoor survival and navigation. I'm a lot better at it now! : ) Real quick add to your comment: It was fortunate for you that it was not hot when you walked those 25 miles. Just recently I read an article where a couple died trying to walk back after a breakdown in the high desert heat of Arizona. They only made it 3 miles before they died. As you said, heat exhaustion is a killer and sneaks up on you.

[@joebauers3746]

Uh, pretty much if I go into a desert in a car I am going to bring at least 10 gallons of water...

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@joebauers3746 Same, except I'd also bring a bedsheet to protect myself from the sun if it ever gets to the point of me having to be outside. Cover myself during the day and wrap it around myself to keep me somewhat warm during the night. I've actually seen these water pouches being sold that look like they'd be easier to pack instead of a solid bottle or jug, you could probably pack a bunch of full ones in the trunk of a car. Some of those bags can hold around 3 gal of water, so you could reach 10 gal pretty quickly.

[@gardensofthegods]

Here's the problem nowadays , due to thieves and criminals pretending to be stranded people on the side of the road , that's why less people nowadays want to stop for a stranger who appears to be stranded . Sad but true ... they think it's a ploy to rob them or carjack them . Nowadays one cannot assume that someone in a vehicle will help you if you are stranded .

[@mariej6962]

Their tragedy was totally survivable. Its the decisions they made after their car incidence is what lead to his death and her near death experience.

[@Jennifermcintyre]

Such an avoidable tragedy. I remember when this happened and it’s not far from where I live. You’d think he’d have survival training in the military!

[@Control-Alt-Delete619]

I'd love to go on a romantic hike with you out in the middle of the desert! 🏜️

[@kayjay7585]

@@Control-Alt-Delete619 come on... at least it's not vulgar, but still inappropriate. And if you think a random catcall is a compliment, just envision yourself having to spend a night in jail and having a bunch of big, tough and scary looking guys making advances towards you. Would you feel complemented or creeped out?

[@Control-Alt-Delete619]

@@kayjay7585 please explain how it's inappropriate.

[@AB-oh1hm]

@@kayjay7585 yes, a comment on an internet video is totally comparable to prison r*pe. Interesting how you had to dial the situation up by 1000x to make it seem scary.

[@kayjay7585]

@@Control-Alt-Delete619 firstly, so you agree that it's not a compliment, but rather creepy, bordering on harassment? As to your question, since you are asking me to spell it out: It's inappropriate on many levels. a) Hitting on someone, who you can reasonably assume to have no interest on being hit on, is inappropriate in of itself. So inappropriate in fact, you'd probably get slapped or worse irl (not saying physical violence is ok, just trying to illustrate how obviously inappropriate it is). b) Your comment was the equivalent of going up to someone at a funeral, who just said some kind words about the deceased, and without introduction, without knowing the person, without gauging if they are interest to engage with you, use some of her words and turn it into a pickup-line. That line can be as clever and funny as can be, irl you'd get your a** beat for such insensitive and crass harassment. In case you are legit unable to grasp social situations and cues due to asd or such, please know, it is ok to engage with strangers on the internet, it is ok to makes jokes, but keep in mind that there is a real person on the other side and the general rules surrounding social interactions still apply. If you feel the need to leave such a comment as you did, maybe try to reflect why you felt that need and find a healthier way of meeting that need.

[@PeteOutdoors1]

The better plan would have been to walk the road at night, and sit out the day. They had three days of water. You can easily cover 20 miles in 10 night hours.

[@jpogigtxcr1778]

And should be going back along the main road and not inch forward to where ever

[@jimbob465]

The car ran fine, it just had 2 flat tires. They could have literally driven the fucking car home.....

[@g3user1usa]

​@@jimbob465 He didn't want to damage the wheel rims on his Subaru by riding on flat tires. Better to just man-up and have an enjoyable hike to be one with nature. I do agree with you. The AWD Subaru could have easily taken them back to safety at a slow speed, especially if he replaced the front tire with a spare.

[@CommanderRiker0]

This is literally the best comment on here. They literally turned a small setback into certain death. Idiots.

[@JohnDavis-yz9nq]

It’s kinda scary knowing that there are stupid people like these people without an ounce of common sense nowadays. How can you help people like this? You can’t. Do I feel sorry for them? No

[@wayneaune8430]

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.

[@zariballard]

It wasn't like the car didn't run. Put the spare on one of the flats and go slow at night when its cooler following the road back. Inch your way out, swapping the spare on the rims...make it work to shorten those miles. They made the worst decision possible, I can't even believe it.

[@jenshoefer7944]

​@@zariballard just drive back slowly on the rims as far you can get, hike the rest, the car broke early evening, enough time to make it back during the night, there is nearly zero elevation difference between there spot and the main road, easy to hike thru at 3 miles per hour

[@Mojo-Adventures]

I just got a lifetime Military pass from NPS and was so happy I don't have to renew my pass every year now. I had NO IDEA it was connected to Alex and this story, WOW. I certainly appreciate his legacy and identify a lot with him. Thank you for the video👍

[@outdoordisasters]

Thank you for your service!! Well deserved.

[@tiffsaver]

I remember spending just one night in Death Valley, at 12 midnight, and it was as hot as bread oven. I can't even IMAGINE what the heat must be like midday in the summer. Unimaginable.

[@Dahmer_Jeff]

I heard it gets freezing at night in the desert

[@tiffsaver]

@@Dahmer_Jeff As cold as Jeffrey Dahmer's soul.

[@markhoffman4587]

I'm puzzled how experienced hikers like those two could make so many mistakes. Hiking out during the day, after a break down, is one of them.. and I don't even know what to say about the attempted climb down at the waterfall.

[@jpogigtxcr1778]

Their "experience" have proven their downfall. Over confidence. An inexperienced person would've been too afraid to scale down a waterfall or leave the safety of the vehicle. Heck, if they were scared enough, they would've drove back with 2 flat tires until the vehicle couldn't run no more

[@charleshoang566]

If they are experienced hikers they should brought some ropes with them.

[@duanejackson6718]

@Andy DeJoseph yep, all they had to do was stay on the road, people are just so stupid.

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

@@duanejackson6718 Americans so what do you expect?

[@jenshoefer7944]

​@Andy DeJoseph yes, i think that's the point, they have been "campers", means doing road trips and putting up a tent, they probably haven't been experienced hikers 😢

[@tiasky3438]

Their decisions are so extremely baffling are we sure there isn’t more to the story? I just can’t wrap my head around it. I feel awful saying that.

[@Thomas-fk3cw]

Only thing I can think of is they felt almost no threat or danger at all. They thought they had enough water and rations so they said this will make a great YT story/video and ventured further into canyon to film climbing and waterfalls. Plan must have been to ultimately come back to car and drive it out as far as possible on a replaced tire and the 1 flat one and then hike. Monumentally stupid decisions by them. Made zero sense to leave car and go further into canyon. This is all I could come up with. Young and invincible in their heads.

[@Thresher326]

It's the kinds of decisions I would expect a couple from LA to make. Liberal types with no outdoor experience.

[@no_peace]

That's exactly what I thought. Something else was going on and/or they didn't realize it was a life or death situation. They just saw it as camping and hiking, which they had planned to do anyway.

[@carlaschultheis3662]

People go into the wilderness Ill prepared. They don’t think about the dangers of getting stuck out there. Walking 22 miles? Letting yourself drop 30 feet? Now your injured and trapped out there.

[@isabellind1292]

@@carlaschultheis3662 I'm confused. I assume she couldn't get a message out on her cellphone to call for help (in the middle of nowhere) but does your phone not require contact w/a cell tower in order for you to use it like she did in filming herself when she was stranded? (I'm not saying this to be suspicious, only that I don't understand how you can use a cellphone at all if you don't have cell tower contact).

[@darioarellano5571]

Excellent video production and narration on this tragedy. I'm so thankful Emily survived. This video randomly popped up in my feed. I'll have to follow and check out more of your content.

[@kennyw871]

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.

[@normanq1206]

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.

[@outdoordisasters]

Absolutely.

[@K.Spade7902]

You're smart to do that. These people are not!

[@rachelreneer56]

Even better. I didn't know you could rent a GPS satellite phone.

[@Eyes0penNoFear]

​@@rachelreneer56 same!

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

I do enough hiking in Utah and Nevada that I bought one. It's expensive and so is the subscription to use satellite comms but what is your life worth?

[@Inkling777]

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.

[@jimbob465]

Dude The car ran, it just had 2 flat tires They could have literally drove home.....

[@zariballard]

Absolutely on the driving the car out. They could have put the spare on the worse tire and rode it out slowly but surely, swapping tires and riding on the best rim if they had to and riding only at night when it was cooler to help to save the tires...anything to shorten the 22 miles out of that desert on the driving path. They made the absolute worst decision possible. I am shocked that working with the car apparently wasn't even an option for them.

[@RRaucina]

Everybody has 5 locators on their cars. They are burning tires. The 6th one is the car itself burning on a clear day. Burning backseat good as any satellite device.

[@vicvega3614]

@@jimbob465 yea that dude died for no reason wtf were they thinking?

[@pizzafrenzyman]

@@zariballard It is not possible to drive a car with a flat tire on this "road" (double track trail). If you go slow, the wheels will eventually sink and get stuck. If you go faster, the car will be pitching and lurching on an already treacherous route.

[@BOBCATT-MEDIA]

I’m new here to this channel and I love how the beginning of this story is like a quick history and background info on this amazing state park. Learning so much I never knew. Thanks 🙏

[@outdoordisasters]

So glad you like!

[@briansykes2806]

In that kind of terrain you must always go with two spare wheels. Also you can drive with one flat tyre. I once drove in desert terrain worse than seen in this video for about 30 kms with one flat tyre. It took me about 4 hours, going very slowly But I had the situation under control all the time,and calmly drove out and stopped a truck. This took me to the nearest town, where I got help to go back to the vehicle with another wheel.

[@jimhenderson387]

I can't help but question their decisions. I too thought walking back the way they came, on a road, made the most sense. It's still a sad and cautionary tale and I'm glad at least one of them made it out.

[@rydz656]

Typical white woman and how she can't take accountability, they always leave out that it was her idea to be out there and how she how already jumped to another man smh.

[@vidaliasoleil2714]

Or staying with the car!

[@allroadsanywhere449]

I wasnt there, but immediately thought of switching the spare with the good rear tire, put good rear tire on front, have 2 good FWD tires, one flat rear and one spare rear. Pull that backend by beating that Subaru. I dunno the terrain tho, but im using that car till its done.

[@annalau2596]

Agreed. And maybe walking in the night at the road to avoid the sun.

[@LOSTGPS]

and then to try and climb down a 70ft waterfall....

[@ladyseeker2927]

I never went on a hike in my life. But even being completely inexperienced, I know for a fact that It'd be the best idea to follow the road I came from. The amount of bad decisions they took baffles me

[@Itried20takennames]

First, why do you assume that the info here is correct? You likely know that most YT channels are incentivized monetarily for the number of videos they put out, not accuracy, and any mistake or error is often repeated by subsequent videos. Other commenters have said that this summary varied from detailed podcasts they heard and there were a number of mitigating factors. And if broken down on a road and had 2 choices of reaching others….one a 17 mile or some other large walk on the “road,” (often a dirt path) or a 5 mile walk cutting thru bad terrain, and did not have gallons of water you with in other heat, the “over the pass” option could seem reasonable. We know the outcome, but to them, this story could have ended with the car being found months later (since covered in dirt on a rarely travelled route and blends in) and Alex and Emily dead next to it, with a bunch of commenters saying “God, they were so dumb….they probably could have gotten over the pass if they just walked out!” It is easy to be Captain Hndsight.

[@martinschulz9381]

You're right, stay on the road where search and rescue will look first. Also, tell people where you are going first and do go far from there.

[@chengalvalavenkata2401]

It was the panic; they taught some other route is even better (but actually worse). They taught that hiking back is dangerous (not that they could drive back partially at least)

[@liamkatt6434]

You are absolutely right. Your comment seems to have irritated one armchair explorer but everyone else agrees with you. I made exactly the same mistake in Snowdonia. I could have gone back the way I came but opted for the 'quick route' on the map. I ended up in a gulley from which the only was out was a 150ft rope descent. and I had no ropes. I had to climb a pinnacle and then make a very dangerous descent, could have avoided that if I had your common sense.

[@WaferBrik]

@@Itried20takennames I know nothing about hiking so I wouldn't try to second-guess this couple. The hottest place on earth and not much water, so I can understand why opting for the shorter route would have made sense to them. If they could have got to the bottom of that rock face without injury, perhaps it would have been a different ball game. I've often heard it said that you should stay with the car. But in that Death Valley heat? Not a pleasant prospect. None of the options available to them was without risk. They were in an incredibly tough spot and had to do something. They didn't know what might work and what might not. Geez, what a terrible life or death predicament to find yourself in. Poor souls.

[@FollowGodsWord]

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

[@fuyu5979]

Found ur upload story very interesting n informative especially the survival advices at the end of vid n comments from the community. May help save others. Kudos for vid. New subscriber because of this vid. Anticipating ur next one. Peace

[@dennisk.miller9253]

So sad to hear of Alex's death. With a spare available, it could have been put on the front and the back tire removed and packed with pebbles and debris and reinstalled. At two to three miles an hour the ordeal would have been over in ten hours.

[@rider6500]

No need to fill it. With the right weight distribution inside the car it probably would have just hung in the air. I've seen 4 wheel vehicles drive on 3 wheels.

[@frankmarano1118]

I mean they could've just driven on the rim if they had to but yeah it's was totally unnecessary

[@frankmarano1118]

​@@rider6500 I don't think it would just hang in the air, but it doesn't matter because you can go on a back rim for quite a while especially if the 2 front tires are fine. The rim would just drag along with the momentum of the car pulling everything forward

[@MegaSunspark]

Yes, it's better to maybe wreck the car driving on flats than to lose your life. People don't think out of the box; they think if you get a flat, the car must not work at all. Him being ex military, this is really surprising.

[@cockoffgewgle4993]

Emily killed him.

[@hermosafieldsforever4782]

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

[@JustAnAverageWoman69]

She never stopped taking pictures for social media throughout this entire ordeal. Unbelievable.

[@dalepress1581]

I know right. Kinda disgusting if you think about it.

[@halfdome4158]

I noted that. And when she heard the helicopter, she videotaped her face with the mock anguish. And no tears. She is disturbed and they both sound crazy. Absolutely nuts.

[@Control-Alt-Delete619]

I actually date women like her & you!!! 💪👍❤️🍻🇺🇲

[@infiniteboxes]

Your narration is so amazing. I am normally stoic but i definitely cried.

[@MrJest2]

My friends and I camp in DV every year. The place is dangerous and attractive, and must be respected. Always travel in a group, preferably in multiple vehicles with recovery gear. Keep more supplies on hand than you expect, even with "emergency quantities" accounted for. Above all, the prime rule of survival in wilderness areas: If you should get lost or disabled, STAY FRIGGIN' PUT if at all possible!!! Don't make searchers jobs harder. These two did a lot of things right - they communicated several times, had supplies on hand, and traveled by night/early morning. But the biggest mistake was simply choosing to leave the vicinity of the vehicle in the first place. They'd have been rescued in four days if they'd just stayed there - and they had the means to do so. Also - carry a radio and a personal locator beacon. Many wilderness areas have no cell service; Death Valley (and the surrounding areas outside the park) is just one example. But ham or even FRS radios can be heard a long distance, especially if broadcasting from a mountain. And PLB signals are picked up by satellites, and relayed to ground so they will almost always be heard.

[@K.Spade7902]

Always let someone know where you are and when you'll return. That's very important!

[@captseamus]

I carry a PLB offroading a rzr in northern michigan and also when hiking lesser known forests.

[@alexross4062]

I can't agree more. My rule of thumb is to have either a personal locator beacon, or company with another vehicle. If I don't have one, I want to have the other. If I have neither, then I try not to go. I've peeled tires off beads or encountered stuck strangers, only hope being either another strangers help, or the friends I've brought with me in other cars

[@747fa]

Death Valley. Major factor in choosing the obvious, correct option to get out of there. They had a spare tire. Camping gear, ie; food, water, lighting, etc. Evening was approaching (cooler for travelling, etc.). Change the tire or at least attempt it. Try driving back to the main road (22 miles). His girlfriend could be instrumental in helping avoid more sharp or large rocks, etc. If the vehicle fails then start hiking with essential gear back to the main road where it's your best chance of help.

[@thomasthomaswezwick8719]

ABSOLUTELY....STAY PUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@fotty96]

I always thought as a kid that finding people thru helicopter would be a walk in the park! It's actually insane how hard it can be to spot people on the ground, even when you know exactly where to look, she's so lucky they found her in that canyon. Absolutely wild story... why would they scale a waterfall when they were on a road? It's so crazy.

[@747fa]

Not only crazy but, given the location, unbelievably stupid.

[@dontworryaboutit4255]

My guess is they were thirsty? I have no idea

[@divinecommerce3912]

Liberals have zero logic.

[@keithangstadt4950]

Because in the desert, not knowing how long you might be there, being near a water source is vital. I would think being able to hunker down within the mist of a waterfall would be a good way to stay cool.

[@peggedyourdad9560]

@@keithangstadt4950 I'd think they'd try to bring more of their stuff to the waterfall and make camp near it.

[@ripwednesdayadams]

“they always came prepared.” * brings one day’s worth of food on a camping trip in a remote area of death valley *

[@SMFFL100]

This story has happened over and over, with death being the result. People think a flat tire means the vehicle is useless. You can easily drive on a flat tire or more. It's not even necessary, but to make it better, swap the good tires to the front (turning wheels). It's just crazy to me that they would abandon the vehicle because they didn't want to scratch the rims. It's a car with relatively low profile tires. They could have kept driving and barely noticed a difference.

[@bigloaded8324]

Just drive the car out of the park with the flat tires

[@outdoordisasters]

Was thinking the same thing. If it really was a serious situation, who cares if you screw up the car!

[@coreyd1dendy451]

I mean you gotta do what you gotta do. Experienced campers? Hard to believe. They completely abandoned a running vehicle with air conditioning. Ive driven for miles on a flat then a bare rim after that just bc i didnt feel like walking. If my life was on the line id ride that subaru till the wheels fell off. Literally. Very sad

[@traybern]

They could have WALKED back 22 miles in ONE DAY!!!!

[@fadisoro3260]

Very good video, I’m happy I discovered ur channel

[@bigloaded8324]

@@traybern true! Hard to believe a ex-military man made such a tragic decision.

[@leanderrowe2800]

He dropped off the cliff and asked her to get help. I don't understand why she decided to also climb down instead of going for help.

[@TheBroLounge]

panic

[@sirridesalot6652]

One of the hardest things for any person to do is to leave an injured partner, and go seek help. If she had g one for help and survived then she'd be second guessing herself after. She'd always wonder if she'd gone down the cliff if she could have saved him.

[@outdoordisasters]

Even for the little time Alex was alive, he yelled for her to get help. She disregarded it and went down anyways. I can't fault her for that. Grief, shock, panic makes you do crazy things.

[@SkyCloudSilence]

Where she gonna get "help" FROM, lol....?

[@larryjohnny]

They should’ve return the way they came in…. No cliffs…. Also Death Valley? Really.. how about Joshua Tree or Yosemite..

[@Tina06019]

I now have the lifelong National Park veterans pass which was mentioned near the end of this video. I will now think of these folks, Alex and Emily, every time I use it.

[@mikem.s.1183]

I subbed after the Polish-German paraglider incident. How you narrated the events (the lucky survival of the Austrian, the shocking miracle of Ewa's ordeal after an ascent above 10km, the death of Zhongpin) was solid and respectful. Channels like yours, Brick Immortar's, are why KZbin is still so important for so many of us. Thank you for such high quality work.

[@no1fibersplicer525]

I want to say thank you. I don’t know how I came across this but, just yesterday I received my lifetime pass and car pass also to americas national parks. Not knowing that it was all thanks to this guy. Shocked, amazed and humbled

[@outdoordisasters]

That's so awesome!

[@BobPruett]

Back in October of '99 my wife, two boys, and myself hiked Golden Canyon just north of where these two got lost. We were only going for a short hike and took enough water for just that. My wife was the more ambitious one and kept pushing us to keep going further because there was so much more to see and I reluctantly went along. As I could literally feel the moisture leaving my body due to the arid conditions and our water supply was depleted I insisted that we turn back. Fortunately, we made it back to the car safely where we were able to rehydrate. Golden Canyon is a beautiful hike, but if you go even for a short hike bring plenty of water!

[@outdoordisasters]

Wow, that's a great story! Good job on being insistent or this vid may have been about you and your family! I'm sure this was very relevant since you know the exact area. Thanks for the comment and for watching!

[@Skank_and_Gutterboy]

That is true. When I did Golden Canyon in January, I was damn glad to have 2.5 liters in my hydration pack and the temp was in the 60s. I can kind of relate to these people thinking their easy way out was actually a terrible drop. I went up Golden Canyon, got to mountain tops and took some really cool landscape pics. I could see Zabriski Point. I decided to make a loop of it and return to the parking lot via Gower Gulch. When I got to the bottom of the gulch I could see Badwater Road but the canyon came to an abrupt 30-foot vertical drop to the valley floor. It appeared that there was no way out. I'm not going to jump out or climb down with no equipment, that is straight-up suicide. So I was sitting there contemplating my 5-mile hike becoming a 10-mile hike because I have to back-track back up Gower Gulch, which is very steep and rocky. I just came down it, I was not thrilled at the prospect of going back up it! I left my 15 year old daughter at the hotel room in Beatty, NV and told her I'd be back by lunchtime, that time will be badly busted now. At least I had a Garmin Inreach handheld GPS that could communicate via Iridium satellite so that I could tell her I'm alive and what the problem is. Just then somebody else came down and I told them, "This is the end unless you know another way out." They told me, "I had the same problem the first time I did this, the trail continues but it's not obvious. Just go around that semi-petrified mound of sand and rocks on the right and the trail continues around to the parking lot." It sounds stupid as hell but it's not obvious if you've never navigated it, it was a narrow "secret" passage. There needs to be signage to warn you of this! I am so damn glad that guy came along to tell me that. From there it was a half-mile flat hike to the parking lot instead of 5 miles of hell. When I was done, I had half a liter of water left, so my water would not have held up. You're right, the desert is so dry it sucks it right out of your body. Also bad: when it's 60 degrees, it's real easy to forget to drink and by the time your mouth gets thirsty, you're a quart low.

[@kingstonzincfence]

Wow! Reading your stories and others makes me not wanting to go within a hundred miles of this place.

[@benjantzen8910]

Oh water…huh…makes sense i guess

[@rayray4192]

Ugly, nasty, hell hole.

[@jackjolli]

Podcast is available in description, I needed to hear the reasoning for not driving or walking back. She said the road had no shade, it was almost 30 miles, and led to a road much more desolate. They chose their route b/c it was 5-7 miles, to an established trail on the map, through a mountain/canyon, to another main backroad road that is traveled alot to enter/exit the park. She admitted they did not know what lied ahead but had hope because of these reasons. She said they spent all night b4 sleep going though options and chose this.

[@outdoordisasters]

It's a fascinating listen. As many have said, could've made that trek at night. Or when you get to the waterfall, turn around and head back to the car and reassess. Such a preventable tragic ordeal.

[@dynjarren5454]

The advice at the conclusion of your video is spot on! Great video

[@outdoordisasters]

Thanks!

[@mardicheriex291]

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.

[@RRaucina]

California deserts - my advice too. Remember: Everybody has 5 locators on their cars. They are burning tires. The 6th one is the car itself burning on a clear day. Burning backseat good as any satellite device. 5 quarts of drain oil and 10 gallons of gas make it all really easy.

[@chironjo]

Two great kids. Really sad this gentleman passed. RIP. Emily, keep strong.

[@timcunningham9996]

Thank you for sharing!!!

[@bustoisebustoise994]

This is frustrating because it was so easily avoidable. Driving back on a spare and a rear flat is doable. If that doesn’t work, wait til sundown and walk the 22 miles back on the marked road. Don’t down-climb a cliff with no protection, especially if you have supplies and can turn back. Don’t follow someone down a cliff if they’ve already fallen. Also, even though a Subaru has all wheel drive, it isn’t really an off-road vehicle.

[@JadedLady]

Stories like this, have helped me decide, if i am ever out in the wilds and get a flat and have no replacement, i'll drive my vehicle until it falls apart. I can eventually replace the vehicle.

[@TheQueensWish]

It also has a car horn and headlights which can help searchers.

[@dalepress1581]

What courage! To endure all those horrors and still have the fortitude to snap photos every ten minutes.

[@matthewstorm5188]

Striking off cross-country was their biggest mistake. With one flat tire, they could have probably made it at least a few miles back down the road by taking it slow. But even if the car was completely disabled, they would have been FAR better off walking back on the road. This could have been done during the night in about 7-8 hours. And difficult terrain would not have been an issue. Also, ANYONE going to these sorts of places should carry a satellite messenger such as a Garmin inReach. With this one device, this could have all been avoided.

[@andrewwegehaupt8790]

You can learn a lot off somebody else's misfortune. Sad as it is, many will learn from this tragedy.

[@outdoordisasters]

Afreed

[@HerrMikael]

Smart people learn from the mistakes of others. Average people learn from their own mistakes. Stupid people learn from neither

[@chunksloth]

You mean free climbing in Death Valley is NOT safer than just walking on a road?! Crazy.

[@jimburg621]

When I visited this most awesome park, I happened across a family from the UK. They had a flat tire, and no clue how to change the tire, the sun was setting soon. Of course I stopped and helped them, they'd have spend the night out there if not. Nice people, followed me out, to the black top. DV is my favorite National Park.

[@tightbudz]

You're a good man for that just as ALL should be, but most are not..😊

[@cplcabs]

Thats the problem these days, cars don't have spare tyres, just some goo to put in a tyre, so people don't learn how to change them even though it is simple enough. They are lucky you came along. Such is the modern world.

[@vicferrari9380]

I taught my daughters how to change a tire before they could drive and to use their heads by thinking outside the box to make things happen when they need it to. Like no jack ram it up on a rock. And that the car is just a tool. Burn the seat fabric for heat and signal smoke. Carpet and padding, headliner. seat cushions for insulation. Rip out wiring for emergency lashing. Bust off a mirror for signaling. But mostly if at all possible Drive it as far as possible toward help!

[@twotwentyswift]

When the narrator said the Subaru was a "rugged off-road vehicle" I about crapped myself! 🤣 My guy watches too many commercials.

[@WaferBrik]

I know little about cars. Do you think Subaru's sales pitch for the Forester is over the top? If so, maybe someone needs to fire a rocket up their you-know-what, because people shouldn't be persuaded to have enormous faith in the vehicle if its not warranted. Not when they're taking them into tough terrain that can result in tragedies like this one: "Popular and reliable, off-road enthusiasts will love the style and comfort that the Subaru Forester brings to any excursion. With its spacious interior, eye-catching design, and extra-wide rear gate opening for easy loading and unloading, the Forester helps you experience the beauty of the great outdoors from the comfort of the cabin, making it a perfect vehicle for off-road excursions. "The Forester is always ready for your next adventure, whether you're going into the backwoods or just downtown. Every Forester features the all-weather, all-road confidence of standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. That’s more standard capability than the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, or Ford Escape. "The Forester is packed with advanced active safety features like standard EyeSight Driver Assist Technology with Automatic Emergency Steering and the available DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System so you can feel confident that all your passengers are protected on every drive."

[@N5229]

Thanks for your service 🫡🇺🇸🙏

[@teremertz]

My family has been in the southwest since before it was part of the US. The desert is brutal and beautiful. So many visitors do not realize how dangerous it is, and it is heartbreaking to hear of such a great man losing his life because of lack of knowledge of the area. If you’re not familiar with the area, do not venture out alone. And invest in a satellite phone 💯

[@wjatube]

"So many visitors do not realize how dangerous it is" the place is called DEATH valley ffs!

[@Control-Alt-Delete619]

I just hope they at least made love when they got to that waterfall. 🌊

[@LizaLavolta]

I almost had a dicey situation on what was supposed to be an easy hike. It's true, these beautiful spaces are unpredictable and can be brutal. I will bring a satellite phone in the future. 100 percent.

[@Control-Alt-Delete619]

@@LizaLavolta you need to bring a man like me along in case you need to be carried out to safety! 💪😎👍🍻🇺🇲🥾

[@LizaLavolta]

@@Control-Alt-Delete619 hahaha! I do like the attitude. A nice Canadian man drove me to safety. I totally respect men that protect women!

[@cnevada1855]

For all those "experienced" hikers/travelers reading this, you are not experienced if you don't own an InReach or equivalent satellite device for emergencies just like this. In this day and age, no outback traveler should be without one. We live just an hour away from DV and do day trips quite often. We have the InReach in the glove box 24/7, never take it out of our rig. If you travel to these places, you can afford an InReach or equivalent. Stay alive.

[@Torrque]

“You are not experienced if you don’t own a InReach”… A InReach is no guarantee. Don’t assume your wellbeing because of a simple survival device. “YOU” is the operative word. Whatever YOU do to as properly prepare for a adventure as you possibly can, for the sake of your “experience”, is the operative mindset. People die primarily due to bad choices. And, people will ALWAYS die. It’s what we do. Just no need to hasten it, is all.

[@forestwitch13]

I tell people all the time- buy one for your kids and hiking friends. They make the best gifts.

[@runninghighOG]

Also, make sure your vehicle is equipped with all terrain tires before venturing anywhere off pavement.

[@TheGuitarsadist]

Totally agrre about the inReach or siimalr divices, Carry one with me me at all time I head out into areas with limited to no cell coverage, includng DV which I go all the time at least once a month. All said though, for this they should have hike the way they came in adn try to drive the car as far as they could on the flat tires.

[@rosenars6665]

@@Torrque better than nothing at all.

[@sueswank433]

Good story. Thank you for sharing it.

[@asmithh2697]

Spent 18 Months working for a tow company in Baker California when there was NO cell phone towers and the only thing that actually worked was Nextel satellite phones. Death valley is no JOKE! Spent many weeks traveling through out death valley dirt and rock back roads with a fully supported wrecker carrying 100 gallons of fresh drinking water at all times Spend many weeks assisting search and rescue in Death Valley.

[@5amH45lam]

It's a great fact, that... Out of the 3219 counties/parishes in the lower 48 states, both the highest and lowest altitude locations can be found in the same county: Inyo, CA.

[@outdoordisasters]

Yes. There's actually a maraton that goes from Badwater to the campsite at the base of Mt Whitney. I screwed up in the vid and said it's east of the park. It's west.

[@SSL0707Star]

How amazing is that!

[@jbgood7694]

I was a UH 60 Blackhawk crew chief and flew extensively around that area. I now work at China Lake Naval Weapons Station working on drones. A former coworker of mine manages the three rescue helicopters at VX - 31. The vastness and isolation of the desert is inconceivable. The desert and mountains out here in Southern California are awesome but can be extremely unforgiving if you make a mistake.😂

[@BobPruett]

I live near Fallon NAS and love watching these helicopters flying over my house and work. But I thought that the Navy called their version of the UH 60 the "Seahawk". Thanks for your service!

[@alejandragarcia207]

Yeah I love Death Valley but would not off road unless I had a satellite phone

[@RRaucina]

Everybody has 5 locators on their cars. They are burning tires. The 6th one is the car itself burning on a clear day. Burning backseat good as any satellite device.

[@jbgood7694]

@@BobPruett Yes, the Navy version is called the Seahawk. I was in the Army and worked and flew on the UH-60 Blackhawk.

[@princessmarlena1359]

Agreed. People have disappeared or died in the Angeles National Forest, where my childhood home was just outside of there.

[@szililolabu]

Very cool that they give survival tips at the end of the video

[@bobdobalina838]

I used to live in Death Valley North of Joshua Tree, California. got lost twice on my dirt bike, the second time almost cost me my life. Didn't take it seriously and didn't bring any water with me. That place does not f around people. It commands respect or your life.

[@K.Spade7902]

My husband and I drove through a desert area off road ( not smart) in the summer in Utah. Thank God the car didn't break down! We got out of there quickly and alive. P. S. It's called Death Valley for a reson!

[@GoCeltics734]

They made so many basic mistakes this should almost be called a suicide by stupidity. They had supplies for a few days, great...then they chose to abandon those supplies when stuck...They left the car, which was running and driveable...they didnt back track the 1 way they knew 100% led to civilization. Either backtrack the way you came, drive the car out of stay with the car. Worst case there you sit for a few days using your supplies, the rescuers are going to find your car pretty quickly.

[@alexross4062]

The mountains in the desert are brutal. There's little to no plant life, and she was incredibly lucky to find water in death valley. The decision to hike into them, rather than out on the flat road they drove in on, cost them their lives

[@TheBroLounge]

Yeah and the fatal decision was splitting up. Even if he had made it down the waterfall she would have been left alone up there for who knows how long. Never split up.

[@mikedavis7925]

Agree I feel this was suicide..just ride out with flat tires or hike out the way you came,.

[@qbi4614]

In Australia, the three rules are 1. stay at your car 2. stay at your car and 3. stay at your car!

[@WaferBrik]

Such a sad story, heart-breaking. RIP, Alex, the world lost a great deal through your passing. Condolences to Emily and your family.

[@tortugalisa4748]

What a beautiful tribute for Alex Lofgren 🙏

[@outdoordisasters]

There was no way Alex's story was going to go untold. He is truly an amazing man. And I still get emotional over his passing and his legacy.

[@StevenTorrey]

When what lies ahead is unknown, the best response is to travel back on the known trail.

[@shanewininger]

Loved your podcast!

[@at1970]

Subaru forester, despite the advertisements, is not a suitable car for difficult conditions. You need to have a full size spare and the ability to repair a flat and inflate it as well as several days worth of provisions. One of the great things about this country is that you can still get lost and in difficult situations outdoors. But you have to be prepared. We are now so disconnected from the natural world that we simply don’t know how to react in it anymore.

[@marauderhot]

#1 In a remote place like DV remove the 2 blown out tires and light them on fire. The thick black smoke can be seen for miles and stay with the vehicle. #2 If you must leave always go out the known route or a route that you personally know. I camp in DV all the time, in April such as this it's pretty nice, not too hot yet, but can be very cold at night.

[@principecaprincipeca2243]

You can still drive with flat tired. They could have changed one and driven out the same way they cane with one flat tire. It's not like the car won't.move with a flat tire.

[@joetruth7823]

I second that reply. I blew two tires in a Subaru Forester in a remote area of Zion National park and we only had a donut spare. Instead of putting that on we drove on the two rims for ten hours back to the main road and then flagged down a car. The only time you burn tires or anything else is after your car is immobilized. Im utterly shocked these two didn’t even try to drive out or they would have realized it was completely doable. Subaru also sucks for marketing their vehicles for “adventure travel” and then putting highway tires on them. Our tires were almost brand new. We didn’t even hit anything specific and it was pretty darn flat where we were. When we got towed to town we got four good all terrain tires and went back to the park and drove just fine for a few more days.

[@principecaprincipeca2243]

@@joetruth7823 nearly spat my coffee on the screen about the Subaru. It's basically just a city car even though they market it as a "adventure/travel" car. It's not. It needs some fixing like changing tires to be an actual adventure car. He had served in army and both were supposed to be "experienced hicers". It really blew my mind the rookie mistakes he made. She obviously had some clue what to do after she was alone and had to (or could do) her own decisions. Makes you wander was this about toxic masculinity. Didn't he want his Subarus rims be damaged or why didn't they drive the car? Why take an unknown rout and not just go back the route back they came, the route they knew and was more likely to bump on someone else? They could have and should have started their journey on the night avoiding the heat of the day if the car was immovable (which I understood it wasn't). And even it would have been unmovable it was stupidity to leave the car. It's easier for the searchers to spot a car than s walker. I just don't get them. At least he should have known better with his training.

[@joetruth7823]

@@principecaprincipeca2243 I know right? I wonder how many people have ended up in bad situations because of their belief that their Subaru was at least a little bit capable off road…..

[@principecaprincipeca2243]

@@joetruth7823 exactly 🫤

[@wilfordclement5611]

Keeping a 12-volt small air compressor in your vehicle and a tire repair kit also learn how to use it, you can repair your own Tire so you can drive out again

[@outdoordisasters]

Most definitely. But I think in this case, the puncture was really bad. Probably shoulda stayed put, rationed the gas in the car, and use the A/C. They had enough water and food for a few days.

[@traybern]

Or a SPARE tire, DUMBBELL!!!

[@RuminatingWizard]

So easy to fix gashes in tires. What the heck.

[@moonliteX]

if i ever drive to the desert, i'm bringing full rubber tires or at least runflats :D

[@benjaminc8789]

Dude was combat engineer , should of engineered a solution . A shame to go through Afghan only to end up this way .vale

[@WaywardPondering]

I never hear anyone talk about deflating tires when going off road. This was common when I went to local dunes as a teen. All the off roading and Outland videos I’ve seen no mention of reducing tire pressure.

[@TutuFerret]

I love to head to the outback desert on my own. You have to know the basic rules - always stay with your car & carry enough water to keep you alive, plus extra plastic etc to make water if needed. I always have my outback survival guide, and I also have solar electricity & a spare mobile phone. I can't afford a satellite phone or PLB yet, so if 112 doesn't work I only have my UHF radio to reach out for help, therefore I won't travel out of range of major highways or tourist routes. It's recommended to carry 2 spares tyres in the outback here. I only have one, but I also have an air compressor and a can of emergency tyre inflator. I carry spare fuel, a basic toolkit, vehicle recovery gear, a first aid kit & usually at least a week's food. If I couldn't drive I'd roll the awning out from the car, set up a chair, and enjoy cold water from my fridge while I waited for someone to come past. This is all in a car similar in size to the Subaru, which I also sleep in while I'm travelling to/from my destination. Don't ever go into deserts or other harsh environments without basic knowledge of survival. I've had the privilege of visiting Death Valley. A beautiful place I'd love to return to. I only had a rental sedan & my backpacking gear at the time so couldn't leave the main roads. I didn't get enough time there and still look longingly at the guidebook I picked up at the Park HQ. it's part of the dream trip through the US/Canada I'd love to go back for if I stop getting so old so quickly. ETA: look up Russell Coight if you'd like some bush survival tips. 🤣🤣 A lot of it is fairly universal. 🤣

[@ohioguy215]

I would have turned the Subaru around and driven out on the rims. The Forester is all wheel drive. They would have gained some advantage and possibly made it out with several hundred bucks for new rims and tires. There's a reason it's called Death Valley.

[@rdred8693]

I wonder if they were worried about ruining the rims so that is why they didn't drive it out??

[@EvieVermont]

As an outdoor educator, I appreciate your candid knowledge of how to keep oneself alive for rescue. I can say that climbing down a steep embankment like the one in this story is extremely risky without equipment. And I would never suggest attempting it. The couple was most brave; their courage was obvious. A few thoughts: 1) vehicles do run with flat tires. You ruin your tires and your rims, but I believe it would have been a way to survive the ordeal. --Very educational story and most deserving of the veteran to have the legacy of helping other vets in the future. Also, 2) a Sat Nav device -- communicator and tracker -- works not only to phone or text in an emergency, it allows loved ones keeping track of your whereabouts (even if you don't think you're lost-- but ARE) in that remote valley. 3) staying with a vehicle or at least staying ON a ROAD is wiser than boondocking. Trails often end up at waterfalls or at lookouts. And end there! Again, great teaching lesson; too bad someone had to die for others to learn the lessons. ❤

[@duanejackson6718]

Most won't learn, these people are dumb as hell and should not be allowed to roam free in society. And ex military I don't know who was dumber him or the military for having and training him.

[@lelisbet]

They weren't brave, they acted like total morons...

[@pamflowers8364]

They coulda, shoulda, if only... He is dead and cannot defend himself and it is sad what happened to both of them. RIP Alex and go in peace Emily.

[@gwilsonroute66]

Years ago I was in Washington State , I trekked off in the Woods which only seemed like a few hundred yards to check out the trees / forest and just like that , I was lost . It cost a lot back then for a cell phone , didn't have one ..Took 3 hours before I made it back to my truck ..Be careful out there folks and make sure someone knows where you are .

[@YosemiteJ]

Wow this is crazy. I remember hearing about these folks, but didn't hear that one survived and one died.

[@outdoordisasters]

Yeah, I remembered the story but not the aftermath. Just tragic. Thanks for watching!!

[@theresekirkpatrick3337]

I’m a veteran and was so happy to get my free lifetime pass to national parks. Im also a hiker and my husband always says i over prepare with water and supplies. I’ve helped others with my extras. So sorry for your loss

[@outdoordisasters]

Thank you so much for your service. One of the toughest parts of producing this video was finding out about who Alex was, and the legacy he left. He seemed like such a great man. You vets are the best of us, and it saddens me that Alex is gone from the world. For you vets to get a lifetime pass to the parks is the least this country can do for you. And tell your hubby to pipe down! Better safe than sorry.

[@Riley0509]

You can never over prepare!

[@joshm3342]

This was a very sad story. Something about the name DEATH VALLEY has always caused me to avoid the area. I've visited many State & National parks, and enjoyed many hikes & campouts. There are so many less "deathy" places to visit. I did spend a weekend at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (in winter), and that was enough desert for me.

[@gregderozario7454]

the tribute to the departed is a nice touch. Very well done.

[@Myn6211]

A tragedy that need not have occured. So many bad decisions made once the tires blew. I could not believe they didn't stay with the vehicle or walk the road back the way they came in the cool of the night. I am both astounded and deeply saddened by this needless death and harrowing struggle to survive. Very much enjoyed your narration of this video.

[@NidusFormicarum]

Yes, if I understood correctly they were only 22 miles or about 35 kilometers from the Civilisation. Given that they had food, some shelter, fitting clothes and most importantly - enough water - that would have been a short walk back that should not take more than about a day on a normal road - one and a half at most. They also had a map and apparently knew the way back so I don't get it. It would have been different if it were say 90 kilometers becasue then they wouldn't have had enough water and it would perhaps had been better to stay at the car.

[@kamaladixon4505]

Amazing Legacy.Things go sideways so quickly..noone expects to pay with their life.Hope Emily can find peace

[@JM1701ABCD]

Stay with the car or walk back the road they drove in on. Or drive the car flat back to the main road. It was a series of stupid decisions.

[@Bruno-tm3xo]

Unless I missed something, they were 22 miles from the main road. As stated in other posts, they could have driven with 3 tires using the spare one, but on foot as they seemed to want to do it, it was like a 7 hours walk ….or 9 if slower. Norwegian saying : there is no shame in turning back !! This has prevented me from being stupid and I always carry an satellite emergency beacon……even to fetch wood at camp as I am always alone. I can’t believe that this guy with a military training could make such a mistake. Nature is neither good or bad….it’s just nature and you have to respect it. It doesn’t mean to kill you but it will if you make mistakes.

[@mieshacanb6967]

They are what scary movies are made of! The dumbest decision to go on a hike instead of trying to get the hell out of there the route, they already knew, just brilliant!

[@outdoordisasters]

Better audio mixing of this story can be found here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6DEhWd3jNV2oJYsi=8lEXAOqYCkOBtUHu&t=1119 Corrections: Mt Whitney is WEST of DV. Alex was a Marine. RIP Alex Lofgren FYI for new commenters, music has been turned down for later vids. I heard the cries and turned it down. Apologies. This was my third video and was learning what works and what doesn't. Anyways, Alex seemed like such an amazing person and so happy his legacy will live on. I try not to judge their decisions as we have no idea how we'd react in similar situations. I hope Emily has found peace. She's such a strong woman and this tragic event could've been worse without her strength to survive. I'm glad people are enjoying this! Such a tragic story but lessons can be learned. Please like and subscribe. More content coming!!! Some corrections: If you haven't yet, please subscribe by clicking here: kzbin.info/door/srtvSjgVg8QgRJzysB55xA

[@muchlove9781]

I liked the story. Is there any movie made on this incident?

[@outdoordisasters]

@@muchlove9781 Nope. But there should be. It's a very compelling story.

[@lindacollins6939]

Amazing story..thank you.

[@girlfriendofnone]

I'm in. Good production my new friend. Happy to see a new channel with good content. 👍

[@reluctantprophet]

We’re they trying to keep from damaging the cars wheels..? I’d drive that car until the wheels disintegrated 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@robertmosher7418]

Alex was a Marine. Just saying. They made the dumbest choices possible. Always return the way you came. Second. They found water when they found an impossible way down. They should have turned around and gone back the way they came. Also, did they not know how to read a map? It would have shown cliffs as a terrain feature. The closer the elevation lines on a map, the steeper the grade.

[@CDAFishboy]

A Marine does not know how to read a map, and use survival techniques. He did not die from the fall. He died of stupidity.

[@azzgunther]

I'm currently looking at pictures and a 3d topographic map of the area. They appear to have chosen the one dangerous place to go into. I hate to say moths to a flame but their car broke down about three miles east (as the crow flies) of Badwater Road and they found a way to turn it into a complete disaster. Really frustrating. The way the story is told, it could be believed that they were extremely secluded. I'm looking at relatively walkable hills and a bunch of photographs of hikers hiking them. The lesson is to get up on the spines of the hills and identify a safe route.

[@ssQ2U]

My first thought - No! Go back the way you came!

[@margaritoxgmailcom]

@@ssQ2U me too! I was genuinely confused why they didn’t go back the way they came. It was April. It couldn’t have been that hot.

[@RedRoadRunner23]

I would have drove on those rims.

[@kennethlui2268]

Great video and story. Alex, R.I.P. The common theme of mistake is people are taking short cuts. I am sure they could do 22 miles with no problem reaching the main road. Instead, they chose different destination. I would just do a reverse and walked back to where I came from because I took the same route from where I started.

[@user-je123]

This brings back memories of being alone in Death Valley with a not-so-good rental car. But always stayed on "normal roads". Always thought what if ... Such a national park writes its own laws.

[@jengallion]

That was a heartbreaking story. The survival tips at the end was a great idea.

[@outdoordisasters]

Thank you! I just don't do it for you all, I do it for me as well. You never know when you'll need it.

[@747fa]

Sure is heartbreaking as the correct option for their survival was so obvious. Sad they took the wrong option.

[@veronicaBolanos-mc4fc]

It would have been better to change one tire and just turn around and drive on a flat, slowly but surely they could've made it out. No way I would leave the car. Another commenter said, never drive in farther than you can walk out. Makes tons of sense

[@zariballard]

Absolutely!!! I know I keep saying it here but the car situation was absolutely workable with the tires. Go slowly, drive at night when its cooler, keep swapping tires if you have to...make it work! Don't just give up on the car for a couple of flat tires when you have a spare!! Creep forward cutting down that 22 miles. I can't believe what they did!

[@Boddav]

I’m tri desert sojourner.Always have 2 spares,drive slowly. Stop at regular intervals and look for damage .I lost my transmission fluid when a tube got broken.Didn’t find out until I was near Yerington Nv,I was lucky.

[@PInk77W1]

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