The gentleman had 4 things in his favour, and one against; warm clothing, cellphone, snowshoes and a shelter to advantage, complacency or familiar trust with his local region to disadvantage. One of my favourite quotes from Peter Rattenberry's Kyak club is (paraphrased) " Allways assemble the best possible equippment, but never make a decision based on it's possession." Snowstorms can bedevil the best prepared expedition. The number of hikers , hunters and field workers lost yearly tells me 2 things; We need better weather savvy and attention to local broadcasts and people with appropriate gear and the common sense to err on the side of caution. There are very few true crisis that require blind action.