Snowmobiler survives three days in Alaskan wilderness
A man survived three days in sub zero temperatures after he crashed his snowmobile through ice in Alaska.
Craig Johnson, 38, was riding his snowmobile on an 80-mile trip to see his family at the time of the accident.
The snowmobile sank when it crashed through the ice, but Johnson managed to crawl back onto the surface, reports the Daily News.
His father died in 1998 after he fell through ice and drowned and Johnson was determined that he wouldn't suffer the same fate.
"Everything just happened so fast," he told ABC News.
"I almost gave up ... But I couldn't give up. I had to do it for my boys, my family."
After climbing onto the surface, Johnson began a 30-mile walk in search of help, stalked by a wolverine.
"You could hear it on the ice, just playing with me, toying with me," he said.
He attempted to scare it away with a few warning shots but he eventually had to resort to defending himself with a stick.
He finally perched himself on a wooden box for safety and was located by a search team three days later.
Johnson thought his time was up when several rescue helicopters flew past him.
"That third night when they passed right by me - not even 200, 300 yards - that's when I lost hope," Johnson said. "I just laid back down in that box I was in. It just felt like that was an open grave for me."
But the search team, led by Johnson's cousin Clifford Benson, heard his screams for help.
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