How Eric Saved His Own Life
The will to live and some clever thinking kept Eric LeMarque alive. Well, that and a little help from the entertainment industry. After recalling a scene in a movie, LeMarque fashioned a working compass. Using that and an increasingly strong radio signal from his MP3 player, LeMarque successfully switched direction and started moving back toward safety and, ultimately, his rescue.
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He made some other key decisions that no doubt helped him to survive. Instead of eating the most readily available item (snow), LeMarque ate pine seeds and tree bark. Eating snow can be very dangerous because it lowers body temperature. He further avoided lowering his body temperature by not camping directly on the cold ground. Using his snow board like an axe, LeMarque created an insulated surface of tree shavings between his body and the freezing, snow-covered earth. These sound decisions ensured that, at the very least, Eric LeMarque would not freeze to death. By using equipment for non-traditional purposes - like an MP3 player as a directional device or a snow board as an axe, LeMarque's creativity helped him overcome being ill equipped. However, as he told Newsweek reporters, the next time he goes snow boarding (he definitely plans to do so), he'll be sure to be much better prepared.
