A Sunriver, Oregon man claims he survived for five days eating only three Taco Bell sauce packets after getting trapped in snow with his dog, Ally.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said Jeremy Taylor, 36, was last seen on Sunday, Feb. 24 before he was reported missing. On Friday, a snowmobile rider called 911 to report seeing Taylor, who was found “in good condition, but hungry after being stuck in the show for five days,” the department said.
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Taylor told police he drove up U.S. Forest Service Road 40 on Sunday, when he got stuck in the snow. When he woke up on Monday, his SVU was stuck in more snow and he could not free it. He tried to get out of the car, but could not because of the deep snow. So, he returned to the car with Ally and “used a few taco sauce packets he had as food.”
After being found, Taylor took to Facebook to thank everyone for their help. He later told a friend he had three Taco Bell hot sauce packets to eat during the ordeal, reports the Associated Press.
“Thank you everyone, I’m safe my Ally dog is safe. I really appreciate all the help. Got lucky, lets (sic) never do that again. I’ll be in touch with everyone soon,” he wrote.
“Taco Bell fire sauce saves lives,” one friend joked in response.
In an interview with The Oregonian, Taylor said he was “just kind of overwhelmed” by the media attention his story got, adding, “I still have my life to take care of.”
“I didn’t think he was going to come out alive,” his mother, Janet Main-Jones, told The Oregonian. “After five days, in that kind of weather, who survives that?”
However, Main-Jones said her son’s experience as an avid outdoorsman saved his life. She said he had a sleeping bag to help him stay warm and only turned the car on during the coldest hours. Thankfully, he had a full tank of gas.
“He’s been outdoors. He’s familiar with his area. And he knew he was in trouble,” she said.
Main-Jones said she could not stop thinking about the story of the Kim family during her son’s ordeal. In 2006, the Kim family was stranded on a remote Southern Oregon road. James Kim left the vehicle to find help, but died of hypothermia. His wife and children were found alive in the vehicle.
Taylor later told his mother he “was just bored” during the ordeal.
“When they came out, the dog was as hungry as he was,” his step-father, Jeff Jones, told The Oregonian.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Greenberg/UIG via Getty Images
