A 7-year-old boy from Alaska boy was declared missing with his cousins after a strong blizzard.
Reports said the children managed to survive by digging a hole where they could sleep.
Ethan Camille, 7 years old, and his cousins, 14-year old Christopher Johnson, 8-year old Frank Johnson, and 2-year old Trey Camille went missing last week on a snow-machine ride in rural Alaska.
Together, they spent the night before they were rescued the next day about 20 miles outside the village of Nunam Iqua on the west coast of Alaska.
Inside the Alaska Native Medical Center, while lying in his hospital bed, Ethan recounted how he and his cousins tried to survive the blizzard. Ethan’s mother said everybody in their group focused on protecting the 2-year old Trey.
Ethan told CNN affiliate KTVA last week:
“We were trying to dig a hole”
The boy said they slept in a hole that they made. He continues to recount their experiences while he’s lying in the hospital bed and the frostbite in his fingers is being treated.
Irene Camille said Christopher, one of the kids, wanted to hold the 2-year-old Trey in the hole. So, Ethan immediately moved to the doorway to make room for the toddler. She noted the cousins gave their best to protect the baby till the end.
She emphasized:
“They sacrificed their health and their everything to make sure Trey would survive.”
Officials reported that although the four children were appropriately dressed at that time, there was still reason for concern.
According to Ethan’s mother, people were hollering and screaming and clapping when they got rescued.
The news outlet KTVA said Christopher was being treated at Providence Alaska Medical Center while his brothers, Frank and Trey, are already back at home.
Irene Camille told the reporters of the station:
“They’re my babies. I don’t ever want anybody to go through what they did.”
She also said there is one night where she woke up a few times just to stare at Ethan and make sure he was really there.
Ethan sat straight in his bed at the Anchorage hospital with a teddy bear and an Iron Man action figure with him. His hands wrapped in bandages, while flying his jet to some imaginary place, and landing the aircraft successfully in his forehead.
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