KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — A Nevada couple letting their SUV’s navigation system guide them through the high desert of eastern Oregon got stuck in snow for three days when the GPS unit sent them down a remote forest road.
On Sunday, atmospheric conditions changed enough for their GPS-enabled cellphone to get a weak signal and relay coordinates to a dispatcher, said Klamath County Sheriff Tim Evinger.
“GPS almost did ’em in and GPS saved ’em,” Evinger said. “It will give you options to pick the shortest route. You certainly get the shortest route. But it may not be a safe route.”
Evinger said a Lake County deputy found the couple in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, outside the small town of Silver Lake, on Sunday afternoon and pulled their four-wheel-drive Toyota Sequoia out of the snow with a winch.
John Rhoads, 65, and Starry Bush-Rhoads, 67, made it home safely to Reno, Nev., Evinger said.
The couple was well equipped for winter travel, carrying food, water and warm clothes, the sheriff said. “Their statement was, being prepared saved their life,” he said.
