Missing ASU student found in E. Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, AZ - Flagstaff Medical Center officials say they have discharged an Arizona State University student who told authorities she'd been snowbound in northern Arizona for more than a week.

Lauren Weinberg, 23, was last seen leaving her mother's home in south Phoenix on Dec. 11 and became stuck in the snow a day later, about 45 miles southeast of Winslow, said Coconino County sheriff's spokesman Gerry Blair. Two U.S. Forest Service employees on snowmobiles were checking to ensure gates on the forest roads were closed when they found her.

"I am so thankful to be alive and warm," Weinberg said through a spokeswoman at the Flagstaff Medical Center where she was taken. "Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers, because they worked. There were times I was afraid but mostly I had faith I would be found."

Other than being cold, hungry and thirsty, Weinberg was in good condition.

The undergraduate student who is studying supply chain management had driven south from Winslow toward the Mogollon Rim when a gate blocked her from traveling any farther. She tried to turn around but got stuck in the snow, Blair said.

She had two candy bars with her and told a sheriff's deputy that she put snow in water bottle and placed it atop the sedan she was driving so it would melt, Blair said. She wasn't prepared for the winter conditions, either, and did not have a heavy coat or blankets, Blair said.

A strong winter storm hit the state the same day, dumping more than two feet of snow in the area where Weinberg became stranded.

Blair said Weinberg had a cell phone but the battery was dead.

"It's pretty harrowing that she'd been there since the 12th in an area that's totally foreign to her," he said. "We're certainly very happy that we found her, and we found her alive."

A strong winter storm hit the area the day Weinberg became stranded and hung around for two more days, followed by even colder temperatures, said Chris Outler of the National Weather Service in Flagstaff. Daytime temperatures in the town of Heber, about 20 miles to the northeast, were in the mid- to low-30s over the past 10 days.

Blair said Weinberg didn't mention where she was headed.

Matt Gilbert of REI Outfitters in Tempe said while not quite as dramatic, he hears stories about people getting stranded all the time from his customers.

"It really comes down to being prepared and attitude that determines whether someone will survive," he said. 

He said even in city driving people should have water, blankets, and a first aid kit just in case.   He said these kinds of stories make people think about what they are lacking in their own car.

Not all stories have such a happy ending.  Earlier this month,  82-year old Elizabeth Davis died while she and her husband were stranded on a snowy road near Globe.  They attempted to walk out.  Her husband amazingly survived.

"Usually it is recommended that you stay in your car," said Gilbert. "It makes it easier for someone to find you if you are not a moving target.   However, every situation is different and you have to consider the conditions and whether or not someone is actually looking for you before you make the decision to stay or go."