California couple Dianna Bedwell-Knutson (68) and Cecil Knutson (79) were found at the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation, a remote part of San Diego County, on Sunday, May 24, 2015 after being stranded for two weeks. The two lived off of oranges, pie, and rainwater, but Knutson did not make it.
A group of off-roadsters found the couple’s 2014 white Hyundai Sonata on an incline on the side of the road, free of damage. It was covered by trees and brush, so it was obscured from the police helicopters that had been searching for them. Bedwell was in the passenger seat and Knutson was outside the vehicle.
The exact time and cause of Knutson’s death is not confirmed, although an autopsy that was conducted on Tuesday, May 26 could possibly reveal the story when its findings are made public. Bedwell-Knutson, however, was alive yet severely dehydrated. She was immediately hospitalized in serious condition.
“I have so much sympathy for Dianna Bedwell. After going through a traumatic two weeks, she has to go on without her husband by her side. I hope that she has a quick recovery and a lot of support from family and friends,” said junior Nicole Anash.
The two were both diabetic and in need of insulin during the two weeks they were stranded. They were both retired school bus drivers and had been married for over 25 years. Knutson was also an ex-marine.
Before their disappearance, the couple was last seen on May 10 leaving the Valley View Casino in Valley Center, about 25 miles west of the camp. They were planning on visiting their son’s house in La Quinta, Calif. for a Mother’s Day dinner.
To avoid traffic, they tried taking a shortcut, but ended up getting lost. There was no cellphone reception in such a remote area; they were forced to patiently await help after a few unsuccessful attempts to walk back.
The couple’s daughter, Kristen, raised money to fund the search.
“We found my parents as you know,” she wrote afterwards. “My father died at the scene, I am devastated. Our mom is in the hospital holding on. Thank you for all the prayers.
Another similar incident took place recently in April when sisters Lee Wright (56) and Leslie Roy (52) survived for two weeks in a remote part of Michigan off only eight boxes of Girl Scout cookies and a bag of cheese puffs. Fortunately, both sisters made it out alive when rescued on April 24.
“It must have taken a lot of courage for them to survive day after day on such a small amount of food. Dianna Bedwell was even able to carry on after her husband passed away. If it was me, I probably would have been too upset to keep going but she was able to do it,” said junior Madison Lipoff.
Bedwell’s family has experienced bad luck in the past. In fact, Bedwell’s sister Sylvia Likens was the victim of the “most terrible crime ever committed in the state of Indiana.”
ABC News
If you were in the same situation, would you be able to survive?