Wow...Google Earth Rocks!!

Update: Names are no longer secret! ;) Here is the link to the Fox 9 News story about this wonderful rescue!!

So, I get to work yesterday, and there are a TON of people in my friend/co-worker's office. I make a comment about a "party goin' on"...only to find out, it's not a "typical" party.

Turns out, it was a "search party", of sorts.

You see, yesterday, in southern MinneSOOOta, there was some nasty weather. Snow, combined with blowing winds, and frigid temps created an awful mess. Closed roads, drifts, icy streets. Bad stuff.

My friend's husband was on business, driving through the country in what he told her was "the worst blizzard" he's ever seen. And he was stranded.

Stuck.

In his truck.

Which was buried in the ditch.

Without anyway for anyone to help him.

His only change of clothes were soaked, from helping a family out of the ditch earlier in the morning. But, he had two Cliff bars (which would've lasted me about 7.2 seconds...I'd've eaten them for comfort...or outta boredom...or fear. Who am I kidding...I would've sobbed like a baby!)

And my poor friend was beside herself.

Things were so bad, that when he called 911, he was told "there's nothing we can do for you"...can you imagine?

What happened next, is pretty amazing. You think we nurses are just kind, compassionate caretakers?

Ha! Seems that we are a resourceful bunch...who use our critical thinking skills in many ways!

Story goes, that a couple of nurses are married to police officers. They called their hubby's who then began working behind the scenes to see what they could do to help Matt.

The county sheriff was able to contact Matt, and give him some survival skills (which, unfortunately, 911 did not) and reassure him that they would get to him...but for sure not until dark.

Well, dark was coming quickly...and word was, that a "rescue" was not likely until the morning.

Then...my resourceful co-workers tapped into the internet (*insert thanks to Al Gore here*...ahem...or not) and utilized Google Earth.


They were able to nearly pinpoint Matt's location (by his knowledge of the area), they found some nearby farms...and began to google addresses to get names and phone numbers.

The people they contacted were quite helpful...a few were wrong locations...reports were that visibility was zero. Nil. Nada.

Then...they got into contact with a couple who were very willing to help.

To make a long story short...it was determined that Matt had seen a pickup truck pass by (unable to see him, apparently)...and the neighbor's of the helpful couple mentioned above, had seen the same pickup.

So...the neighbors made a quick decision. They decided to jump in their very own vehicle and "follow the tracks" of the random rogue pickup that had driven past Matt, and use those tracks to find him!

And they did!! In the dark, after nearly twelve hours of being stranded...Matt was rescued and sitting by a warm fire (poor Melissa...one of our jokester nurses told her, "Yeah, Jill and Ben** are probably serial killers"...thankfully she saw the humor!).

Praise the Lord! Melissa was beaming! And so incredibly amazed that "we" (aside by me...I didn't do much) saved her hubby! She said because of "our" investigation skills and stick-to-itiveness, we helped to rescue him!

What a wonderful day!

So, a big thank you to Google Earth!!! And an even bigger thank you to Jill and Ben and their neighbors who helped rescue Matt!

**Names changed to protect identities...although I don't really know what the real names are!! ;)