In November 1994, experienced pilot Peter Deleo took two friends out in his single-engine Maule for a sightseeing/ photography flight through California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range. Just hours later, after crashing the plane in a remote canyon, Deleo found himself severely wounded and hiking toward civilization, a harrowing trek that would take 13 days. Survive! is his memoir of this truly unforgettable story.
Plane Crash in High Sierras Due to Turbulence
Peter Deleo is not only an experienced pilot, but a very cautious one, a necessary trait when flying a tiny single engine airplane over unpredictable mountain terrain, with its drastically changing temperatures and sudden turbulence. As carefully as Deleo monitored his flight, a blast of the latter was enough to force the small Maule down, finally crashing nose down in the snow, injuring all three passengers.
Of the three, the pilot, though severely injured himself, was the most capable of hiking out of the remote area for help. He and his other experienced passenger (the third was near death) had already determined it was the only chance of rescue. Their location in the Golden Trout Wilderness was just too remote, and they would probably not be missed for days.
Pilot Hikes Out of California Mountains with Massive Injuries
So, with 16 broken bones (including many ribs), a shattered ankle, torn shoulder muscles, and the use of one eye and one lung, Peter Deleo set off over the mountains determined to save the lives of his friends. The story of that nearly-two-week journey makes up the majority of the text of Survive!. It is one so-filled with frustration, insurmountable obstacles and sheer determination that it is impossible to forget.
Besides his massive injuries, several other factors made Deleo’s odyssey an against-all-odds prospect. The weather alone would have killed most people, let alone one hiking injured, without maps, food, water, appropriate clothing or supplies. A major two-day winter storm slowed his progress when every moment counted.
Outdoor Survival Skills Helped Deleo Survive
Fortunately, Deleo’s outdoor survival skills were strong. He knew how to make shelter from fallen trees and/or pine boughs. He knew to seek just enough sun warmth to keep from depleting his energy. He ate insects, drank snowmelt.
Even with those skills, Deleo was challenged by the storms, dehydration and hypothermia, and a rockslide that nearly killed him, even as he saw civilization on the horizon. Perhaps the most frustrating of all, when he finally reached a town, he found it nearly impossible to convince authorities that he was the lost pilot, as he’d been given up for dead after so many days lost.
Further details, including the eventual rescue mission, will be left for readers to discover. Peter Deleo’s survival has been called “one of the most astonishing feats of endurance on record.” His memoir of that feat, Survive! is an unforgettable, highly inspirational book recommended for anyone who enjoys a good adventure. It would also make a good gift for those facing their own challenges.
Deleo, Peter. Survive: My Fight For Life in the High Sierras, Simon & Schuster, 2005, 241 pp. ISBN:0-7432-7006-1
Dale Van Every - Dale Van Every is a freelance and fiction writer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He earned his Masters Degree in English Literature from ...
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