Sacramento Couple Stranded In Sierra Talk About Their Ordeal

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A Sacramento man and his girlfriend who were stranded in the Sierra for three days spoke Thursday about their frightening ordeal.

Mark Schroeder and Janette DeGrace were safe and warm at Schroeder's home Thursday morning. But that was not the case just 24 hours before.

The pair say they went to a bar called Uncle Tom's Cabin deep in the Eldorado National Forest outside of Georgetown.

Schroeder says it's a place he's been many times. But after leaving the bar, he said he decided to show DeGrace some of the scenery in the area. But his Porsche hydroplaned in the snow and they got stuck. They decided to hunker down for the night, but then heavy snowfall made the situation worse.

"So when it snowed, then we go 'OK we're stuck here now' we have to figure out what we're going to do here to get help. I made the cardinal sin of not telling anybody where I was going. And we didn't prepare much. We did throw some snacks in," said Schroeder.

As Monday turned to Tuesday, the pair stayed alive by melting snow and eating trail mix, Girl Scout cookies and nuts.

"I figured we had seven days here in our car to survive," Schroeder said.

But by Wednesday, as DeGrace became ill due to a pre-existing pancreatic condition, Schroeder says he knew he had to go for help. He walked six miles in the snow, sometimes 3 feet deep.

"I really thought he was going to walk to his death, I really did," DeGrace said.

"If I made it I knew I'd save her," he said. "If I didn't, I'd know the consequence."

Schroeder hiked out to where he could finally get a cell phone signal and was picked up by a CHP chopper.

"Once I got the 911 call and I knew I was safe, it was unbelievable," Schroeder said. "I started crying."

They then went to rescue DeGrace.

"As soon as I heard the helicopter, I knew he made it, I was just so happy," she said.

The two were checked out an Auburn hospital Wednesday night and both are doing fine.

They did miss celebrating Valentine's Day, but DeGrace said the good news out of the whole thing was it took this for Schroeder to tell her he loved her.