Sad story time. A couple in their '90s were found dead about 3 km. from their car on a forestry lease road.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Bodies+found+believed+missing+Calgary+couple/3106918/story.html

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Worr...5399/story.html

Details are sketchy at this point. Events suggest they took some wrong turns, waited in the car for days, then when the gas ran out they tried to walk out.

I know that Calgary had a major spring snowstorm around that time. That may be a significant factor.

This brings up two issues for me:

- First, how do you reasonably prepare an ageing population and ageing parents for an unexpected event like this? My father, for example, is stubborn as heck and won't carry a cell phone.

- Second, if you were a family member, how the heck would you aid the search? Time is ticking away, and older folks may not have as much time as people in their prime (considering underlying conditions, meds, dementia, etc.)

Thoughts?

P.S., Sincere condolences to the families.

My condolences to the family and friends involved.

One thought - there are still a fair number of older folks who won't carry a cell phone, but they will install an OnStar system in their American (or Canadian) made car. I suppose if my 90 year old loved ones were driving in remote areas I might encourage them to get one of those satellite assistance devices. The one 90 year old in our lives has bought a cell phone (Tracfone) and uses it solely when travelling up and down I-5 to Seattle from Walnut Creek.

Onstar or a PLB. Or just get them a cell phone to keep in the car.

"Course there is not always coverage in remote areas....

Simpler solution which requires no input from those who dislike technology is a GPS tracker which installs in the OBD connector of any car built after 1997 or so. I installed one in a relative's car for about $250 and $16 a month subscription fee. I can access the car's position via a web site, even from my smartphone. While it won't call someone if the car is an accident like On-Star, you can set a geofence so you'll receive an alert via SMA or e-mail if the vehicle strays beyond a certain radius from a given spot. Other alert and alarm functions are available as well.

It uses 'cell' phone technology so it won't help if you're in the middle of telecommunications nowhere. I don't know if it would have helped this couple. They might have been out of range or didn't have anyone keeping track of them.

No connection, just a resaonably satisfied customer. See this site.

A little more information: from the Vancouver Sun

This is what happens when you let the man drive and he refuses to stop to ask for directions. And I'm not joking, either.

It's too bad they had to go like this.

This story is eerily reminiscent of the song 'The Way', written by Tony Scalzo. He wrote the song in 1997, after reading a news article about Lela and Raymond Howard, an elderly couple who had disappeared in Texas. The couple was on their way to a family reunion when they disappeared. He romanticized it quite a bit. Lela actually had Alzheimers, and Raymond was recovering from brain surgery. They veered off the road in their Oldsmobile 88 and were found dead at the bottom of a canyon.

"They made up their minds
And they started packing
They left before the sun came up that day
An exit to eternal summer slacking
But where were they going
Without ever knowing the way?
They drank up the wine
And they got to talking
They now had more important things to sayAnd when the car broke down
They started walking
Where were they going without ever knowing the way?

...
"The children woke up
And they couldn't find 'em
They Left before the sun came up that day
They just drove off
And left it all behind 'em
But where were they going without ever knowing the way?"

It would be nice if everyone else just died in their sleep.

Sue

That's tragic. Check out the family pictures of them .... at least they lived a long happy live and had a great family over the last seven decades.

Sad story and a reason to always go prepared no matter how old you are.