Man, 81, survives week in snowbank eating candy, croissants: ‘Nurses were in shock’

An 81-year-old man survived being stuck in a snowbank for nearly a week by eating only candy, croissants and biscotti.

Jerry Jouret was determined to make the drive from his mountain abode in Big Pine, California, to his family home in Gardnerville, Nevada, on Feb. 24, despite an impending snowstorm.

On a clear day, the drive takes Jouret about three hours, but this time it took a lot longer to make it back.

The mathematician and former NASA employee was driving in the midst of the snow when he lost control of his vehicle and got stuck in a snowbank along a small road about 30 minutes into his journey.

Jouret was unable to get his car out of the white onslaught and resorted to camping out in his vehicle until the storm settled or he could get help.

The Air Force veteran only had a light windbreaker, light quilt and a hotel bath towel to keep him warm as the temperature dropped from the mid-30s down to the teens.

“He’s pretty small,” his grandson, Christian, told CNN. “He doesn’t have a whole lot of meat on his bones.”  

However, the elder Jouret is “a very smart man” and conserved the remaining gas and battery power his SUV held, only turning the car on for short spurts of time to stay warm.

His car eventually ran out of power midway through the third day as he was closing a window, which then remained open a few inches for the next few days.

Jouret survived by eating snow through the window and the few snacks he had packed with him, including croissants, candy and biscotti.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Office received a call for a missing person four days after Jouret set out to return home. A search and response team was unable to begin a rescue mission for another few days until the extreme weather died down.

On March 2, six days after Jouret had tried to make his way home, police identified a ping from his cellphone that allowed them to narrow the search and eventually led to his rescue.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter spotted Jouret’s car buried under nearly 3 feet of snow that had fallen and transported him to medical care.

The octogenarian was in good health and released from the hospital after several hours.

His grandson confirmed that while he was mildly dehydrated, “nurses were in awe at how well his vitals were,” adding that he was “better than anyone could have expected.”

His family was even told that he had a smile on his face the whole helicopter ride to the hospital — and it was his first time in a chopper.

“He’s doing really, really well,” Christian said.