Actually, they didn't do so badly. They left word where they were going, and didn't go somewhere else. They drank water but didn't eat snow because it could encourage hypothermia. They crawled into the culvert, putting the smaller ones inside with the larger ones on the ends. The father took off his sweatshirt, tore it in half and wrapped it around the feet of two of his kids to protect against frostbite. They stuffed the ends of the culvert with tree boughs. They stamped HELP in the snow. When they heard the helicopter, the father got out on the bridge and waved his arms at it.

Once they realized they were lost, they didn't keep going, just found some shelter.

A fire at one end of the culvert would have been nice for heat and signaling, with ventilation through the pine boughs at the other.

Personally, I'd say they did a pretty good job.

Sue