2 Alaska skiers hoped their snow cave wouldn't become a tomb
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — By their third day in a tiny snow cave under 4 feet of snow, Chris Hanna and Jenny Neyman thought the shelter in an Alaska ice field might turn into a tomb.
The 7-by-5 space Hanna dug started with a ceiling 40 inches high.
Warmth and humidity from their bodies made the ceiling sag to within 8 inches of their faces, like a giant, suffocating sponge.
Besides hypothermia, hunger and a shortage of oxygen, the experienced outdoor enthusiasts had to stave off claustrophobia.
A locator beacon led an Alaska Air National Guard helicopter to the underground shelter, and the crew swooped in and dug out the pair after four nights on Harding Ice Field, including three in the cave.
Neyman, 36, and Hanna, 46, had planned to spend April 8 cross-country skiing on the 700-square-mile ice field, which offers spectacular views of peaks, fjords and ocean.
Exhausted, Hanna climbed inside and sent text messages to his 18- and 22-year-old daughters.
Hanna tied an orange space blanket to the tent pole and jammed it through the air hole as a signal.