Man Snowbound for Months Didn't Have to Be

But, unfortunately, Swedish police never followed up on a month-old tip
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 21, 2012 8:31 AM CST
Man Snowbound for Months Didn't Have to Be
A snowed covered car sits roadside in the woods north of Umea in Northern Sweden on February 18, 2012.   (Getty Images)

The Swedish man who was rescued—barely alive—after two months stuck in a snowbound car could have been rescued a month ago ... had police followed up on a tip. The Telegraph picks up a Swedish news report that Peter Skyllberg's car, which he says became snowed in on Dec. 19, was spotted more than a month ago by snowmobilers. They thought the car's distance from the main road was suspicious, and called police, passing along the vehicle's info and location. But because it hadn't been reported stolen, police opted to ignore the tip.

The Umea police's less-than-reassuring response: "If the car isn't in a spot that's dangerous from a traffic point of view and there are no suspicions of crime, nothing can be done." Click for more on Skyllberg's plight, which included -22 degree temperatures. (More Sweden stories.)

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