Remember That Time Cheetos Saved Two Lives in Michigan’s UP?
Sure, junk food is often called "junk" for a reason. There's barely any nutritional value and often times junk foods actually contain ingredients that could be labeled bad for you. But, at least once, junk food saved a couple of lives in Michigan.
I stumbled across a post on Facebook that had originally been posted in the public group PureUP. A member named Michael B. posted a photo of a bag of Cheetos in front of a sign. That photo was later shared by William Orosco:
As it turns out, this is a true story.
In April of 2015, sisters Leslie Roy and Lee Marie Wright were traveling to see family in the Upper Peninsula when their SUV became stuck in the snow. The women were from Oklahoma and Nebraska, places that might experience snow but nothing compared to Michigan's UP where some areas, at least in 2022, received close to 300 inches of snowfall in total. With that being said, it's safe to assume that they perhaps didn't realize what they were getting themselves into when they decided to make the trek.
Regardless of whether or not they had knowledge about the area or the snow they might face, what they did to survive proved that they were at least resourceful.
The women, who were apparently driving along the route to Crisp Point, were reported missing when they failed to show up to a family gathering on April 14th, 2015. Authorities searched for the whereabouts of the two sisters with the family fearing the worst, I'm sure. Later, it was revealed that this was the worst-case scenario. The SUV had lost power and they had no cell phone reception.
Miraculously, they were found alive by authorities two weeks later on April 24th, 2015. Their secret to surviving? Rationing Girl Scout cookies, Cheetos, and melted snow.
See? Sometimes junk food saves lives.
Now, on the above-mentioned post from the Facebook group PureUp, a lot of people in the comments gave the women a hard time. They wrote things like, "There are so many campsites nearby." Or, "Why didn't they have protein in the car instead of junk." And, "Why didn't they just walk?" As if every person who isn't from Michigan should automatically know what to do if they get stuck in the snow.
In fact, most survival guides stress how important it is to stay in your car should it become stuck in the snow. These women did what they had to to survive and it worked. Thank goodness.
If you need a refresher, almanac.com has a lengthy list of supplies you should keep in your car just in case you become stranded during the winter months. See it here.
While we're on the subject of survival, Michigan used to be home to a plethora of fallout shelters. In fact, you can still spot the fallout shelter signs if you look closely: