SOS on the Snow and Cans of Cans: The Incredible Survival Campaign in Alaska

Tyson Steel's secluded cabin burned down in mid-December with all his property and dog inside. In freezing weather and unable to call for help, he survived three weeks in impossible conditions. "I wasn't exactly trained. I watched a lot of YouTube videos," he said

SOS on the Snow and Cans of Cans: The Incredible Survival Campaign in Alaska

30-year-old Tyson Steel lived in an isolated cabin in Alaska until a fire devoured her. Under the shelter he built from the rubble, in freezing weather and with little food, he survived for three weeks until rescued by rescue teams, with his health set to "good." His survival story, which was documented in an interview with the local police, aroused great curiosity.

The cabin is located northwest of Anchorage, about 30 miles from the nearest town - with forests and lakes separating it from it. He has lived there alone for only a few months, since September 2019 - until in mid-December he put a piece of cardboard into the fireplace in his home, and the flames reached up to the roof. "It started out pretty reckless. I've had wood stoves all my life. When he woke up late at night, burning pieces of plastic had already dropped from the roof to the cabin floor.

He described his appearance in the next few hours as a "war zone." Steele escaped from the cabin in pajamas, a sweater and boots without socks and a few cables. The temperature was around minus 15 degrees, and the fire was already on hold. He managed to pick up his rifle and some blankets when it was still possible. "Everything that was on my bed," he explained. The ammunition he was holding at home, as well as Michal Propane, exploded. When he heard barking he realized that he had lost something much more valuable: Contrary to what he had initially thought, his dog could not escape the burning house and was caught in a fire. He threw snow on the fire for hours trying to stop it, but in vain. "He was the best dog in the world, so happy. He was so scared of the fire," said Steele Hubble.

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"Started accidentally reckless." Steel waving for help (Photo: Alaska State Troopers / Reuters)

A SOS address of a man who survives three weeks in Alaska after his home caught fire, January 2020 (Photo: Alaska State Troopers, Reuters)

All his property went up in flames inside the cabin. Now Steele had to be able to stay alive in the cold, with no ability to call for help. "I wasn't exactly trained," he told police later. I was just a lot out in the open. I watched a lot of YouTube videos. "

He wrote down the SOS distress letters in the rubble of the house, adding ash to them to emphasize the caption, and collecting canned cans that survived the fire - while many exploded. He spent two nights in a snow cave, then erected a makeshift tent from individual tarpaulin that he placed around the surviving fireplace location, and continued to burn thanks to a few pieces of wood and a candle that Steel kept with him. He also managed to arrange a trail to a nearby frozen lake, which - he thought - would land a rescue helicopter.

Finally, rescue forces responded to a call from his concerned relatives from Salt Lake City who were unable to contact him. After he was spotted, the extractors made sure he had a hot shower - and a big meal at McDonald's, at his request. Now, he says, he plans to go to them to try and recover. "They have a dog. And it can help me heal," he explained.

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