Texas Family Found Safe After Getting Stuck In Deep Snow In Southwest Colorado

SAN MIGUEL, Colo. (CBS4)- A family from Texas was found alive after going missing for 24 hours in the San Juan National Forest in southwest Colorado. The man and his wife, along with their 12-year-old daughter, were driving a rented truck from El Paso, Texas to Norwood near Telluride.

The family was delivering furniture when a concerned party called the San Miguel County Sheriff's Office on Monday night. A multi-county search was conducted into the night, but turned up nothing.

Just before 9 a.m. Tuesday, San Miguel County Undersheriff Eric Berg was piloting his own personal aircraft when he spotted the truck.

A few minutes later, the family was spotted a couple of miles from the truck, walking towards Dolores on a Forest Service road near Belmear Mountain, about 35 miles south of their destination.

"I radioed in that I had found the truck," said Berg. "It was not an accident, but I was fearing that people were out on foot, so fortunately those folks continued on the roadway and two of them had dark clothing on so against the snow packed road I was able to spot them."

The man told deputies that he relied on electronic GPS for the fastest route from Durango to Norwood and became stuck in deep snow on Monday morning. According to Berg, that's a risky way navigate mountain roads in the winter.

"When the road in front of you is worse than the road behind you, the computer is not your friend," said Berg. "That's the time to turn around and go back."

To keep warm overnight, they ran the engine for heat and covered themselves in the blankets used for furniture. Early Tuesday morning they wrapped their tennis shoes in plastic and began walking.

"The family is lucky to have had moderate temperatures and our ability to use aircraft to locate them. But people need to remember that electronic GPS systems are not always the best guide. At this time of year especially, roads like these are not always passable," said San Miguel Sheriff Bill Masters.

Masters also said it's important to have warm weather gear and extra food and water in your vehicle for emergencies.