HEADSTONE with Rudolph O.
OBITUARY Iron County Reporter Dec 18 1991. Age 89.
NEWS ARTICLE National Enquirer April 26 1964 "Man, 71, Is Trapped In A Hollow Log For 2 Days" by Irving Gold with photos
Henry Borns, out on a winter hike, found a hollow log in which he could take a rest-and it almost became his final resting place.
Borns, 71, crawled inside the log for warmth and then discovered that he couldn't get out again.
He was trapped there in subzero weather for almost two days.
Borns suffered through this terrifying ordeal near the town of Iron River in Michigan last February 21.
It's an isolated, heavily wooded area that hunters avoid because there is virtually no life there.
"There was an icy wind blowing," Borns recalled. "I spotted the log and decided it would be a good place to use as a shelter while I rested."
"So I crawled in headfirst."
"I rested for a while, then decided it was time to go. But when I tried to move, I couldn't."
"I'd used my legs to push myself in, but I couldn't move."
"The more I wriggled, the more exhausted I got. And the struggling made me sweat."
Finally Borns fell asleep.
"When I woke up I was cold and it was getting dark," he said. "I knew I had to get out soon. I tried again but I still couldn't make it."
"Now I was getting scared."
Borns shouted, but his voice inside the log was just a muffled groan.
He knew, anyway, how unlikely it was that someone would pass by and hear him.
Outside the log, thick snow carpeted the woods. Through a tiny hole, Borns watched as darkness fell.
"I dozed off again, thinking how much this was like being buried alive. I never knew how long I slept."
"But when I came to, it was light. I couldn't feel my feet and I remembered they'd been sticking outside."
Borns didn't know it then, but the temperature that night had fallen to 13 below zero and his feet were steadily freezing.
"By this time I was really cold," he said. "I was stiff all over and I couldn't even struggle anymore to free myself."
"I knew then I'd probably die."
Borns doesn't remember much of that day, or of the second sub-zero night that followed.
He found relief from his fears in sleeping. Borns would have been far more relieved if he had realized that he had left clues to his location.
An elderly couple out skiing found those clues-a trail of Borns' footprints leading into the woods.
One of the skiers, Mrs. Flora Johnson, 61, said:
"We were surprised to find any signs of life. We also figured that whoever made these footprints hadn't returned."
Mrs. Johnson's husband, Rudolf, suggested they check and they followed the prints for 3 miles.
"Just by chance I saw a boot sticking out of a log. We thought we'd found a corpse," Mrs. Johnson said.
Said her husband: "I poked the foot and it was hard as a rock. But then I heard the man breathing. Then he groaned."
Unable to get Borns free, the Johnsons hiked 4 miles to their car, then drove 3 more miles to the nearest telephone.
A rescue party led by Sheriff Edward Sandri arrived just in time. Borns was near death.
He was rushed to a hospital where both of his frozen legs were amputated. After days of care and medical attention, he recovered.
The last footprints Borns will ever make had saved him.
PHOTO Recovering following the amputation of both his frozen legs, Henry Borns rests in a hospital bed.
PHOTO Trackers: Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Johnson followed footprints and found Borns after he'd been in the log two days.
PHOTO Rescuer: Sheriff Edward Sandri led a rescue party which arrived just in time to save Borns' life.
PHOTO Trap for 71-year old Borns was this hollow log in an isolated area. It nearly turned out to be his coffin.
OBITUARY of Robert Johnson 2002 (buried Stambaugh) says Flora (Oss) Johnson was his mother.
OBITUARY of Mabel Carlson 1997 (buried Resthaven) says Flora Johnson was her sister.
OBITUARY of Rudolph Johnson 1990 says in September 1925 he married the former Laura Oss, and the family resided in the original Johnson Family homestead in Bates Township.
INFORMATION FROM RELATIVE niece Edith Johnson Avise ([email protected])(daughter of Carl William) says very energetic & athletic: golf, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling. Would always be first of 5 daughters-in-law to get wash hung on Monday mornings. Spent final years at Medicare.
INFORMATION FROM WAYNE OHLSSON at www.rootsweb.com.
OBITUARY Iron County Reporter Dec 18 1991. Age 89.
NEWS ARTICLE National Enquirer April 26 1964 "Man, 71, Is Trapped In A Hollow Log For 2 Days" by Irving Gold with photos
Henry Borns, out on a winter hike, found a hollow log in which he could take a rest-and it almost became his final resting place.
Borns, 71, crawled inside the log for warmth and then discovered that he couldn't get out again.
He was trapped there in subzero weather for almost two days.
Borns suffered through this terrifying ordeal near the town of Iron River in Michigan last February 21.
It's an isolated, heavily wooded area that hunters avoid because there is virtually no life there.
"There was an icy wind blowing," Borns recalled. "I spotted the log and decided it would be a good place to use as a shelter while I rested."
"So I crawled in headfirst."
"I rested for a while, then decided it was time to go. But when I tried to move, I couldn't."
"I'd used my legs to push myself in, but I couldn't move."
"The more I wriggled, the more exhausted I got. And the struggling made me sweat."
Finally Borns fell asleep.
"When I woke up I was cold and it was getting dark," he said. "I knew I had to get out soon. I tried again but I still couldn't make it."
"Now I was getting scared."
Borns shouted, but his voice inside the log was just a muffled groan.
He knew, anyway, how unlikely it was that someone would pass by and hear him.
Outside the log, thick snow carpeted the woods. Through a tiny hole, Borns watched as darkness fell.
"I dozed off again, thinking how much this was like being buried alive. I never knew how long I slept."
"But when I came to, it was light. I couldn't feel my feet and I remembered they'd been sticking outside."
Borns didn't know it then, but the temperature that night had fallen to 13 below zero and his feet were steadily freezing.
"By this time I was really cold," he said. "I was stiff all over and I couldn't even struggle anymore to free myself."
"I knew then I'd probably die."
Borns doesn't remember much of that day, or of the second sub-zero night that followed.
He found relief from his fears in sleeping. Borns would have been far more relieved if he had realized that he had left clues to his location.
An elderly couple out skiing found those clues-a trail of Borns' footprints leading into the woods.
One of the skiers, Mrs. Flora Johnson, 61, said:
"We were surprised to find any signs of life. We also figured that whoever made these footprints hadn't returned."
Mrs. Johnson's husband, Rudolf, suggested they check and they followed the prints for 3 miles.
"Just by chance I saw a boot sticking out of a log. We thought we'd found a corpse," Mrs. Johnson said.
Said her husband: "I poked the foot and it was hard as a rock. But then I heard the man breathing. Then he groaned."
Unable to get Borns free, the Johnsons hiked 4 miles to their car, then drove 3 more miles to the nearest telephone.
A rescue party led by Sheriff Edward Sandri arrived just in time. Borns was near death.
He was rushed to a hospital where both of his frozen legs were amputated. After days of care and medical attention, he recovered.
The last footprints Borns will ever make had saved him.
PHOTO Recovering following the amputation of both his frozen legs, Henry Borns rests in a hospital bed.
PHOTO Trackers: Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Johnson followed footprints and found Borns after he'd been in the log two days.
PHOTO Rescuer: Sheriff Edward Sandri led a rescue party which arrived just in time to save Borns' life.
PHOTO Trap for 71-year old Borns was this hollow log in an isolated area. It nearly turned out to be his coffin.
OBITUARY of Robert Johnson 2002 (buried Stambaugh) says Flora (Oss) Johnson was his mother.
OBITUARY of Mabel Carlson 1997 (buried Resthaven) says Flora Johnson was her sister.
OBITUARY of Rudolph Johnson 1990 says in September 1925 he married the former Laura Oss, and the family resided in the original Johnson Family homestead in Bates Township.
INFORMATION FROM RELATIVE niece Edith Johnson Avise ([email protected])(daughter of Carl William) says very energetic & athletic: golf, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling. Would always be first of 5 daughters-in-law to get wash hung on Monday mornings. Spent final years at Medicare.
INFORMATION FROM WAYNE OHLSSON at www.rootsweb.com.
HEADSTONE with Rudolph O.
OBITUARY Iron County Reporter Dec 18 1991. Age 89.
NEWS ARTICLE National Enquirer April 26 1964 "Man, 71, Is Trapped In A Hollow Log For 2 Days" by Irving Gold with photos
Henry Borns, out on a winter hike, found a hollow log in which he could take a rest-and it almost became his final resting place.
Borns, 71, crawled inside the log for warmth and then discovered that he couldn't get out again.
He was trapped there in subzero weather for almost two days.
Borns suffered through this terrifying ordeal near the town of Iron River in Michigan last February 21.
It's an isolated, heavily wooded area that hunters avoid because there is virtually no life there.
"There was an icy wind blowing," Borns recalled. "I spotted the log and decided it would be a good place to use as a shelter while I rested."
"So I crawled in headfirst."
"I rested for a while, then decided it was time to go. But when I tried to move, I couldn't."
"I'd used my legs to push myself in, but I couldn't move."
"The more I wriggled, the more exhausted I got. And the struggling made me sweat."
Finally Borns fell asleep.
"When I woke up I was cold and it was getting dark," he said. "I knew I had to get out soon. I tried again but I still couldn't make it."
"Now I was getting scared."
Borns shouted, but his voice inside the log was just a muffled groan.
He knew, anyway, how unlikely it was that someone would pass by and hear him.
Outside the log, thick snow carpeted the woods. Through a tiny hole, Borns watched as darkness fell.
"I dozed off again, thinking how much this was like being buried alive. I never knew how long I slept."
"But when I came to, it was light. I couldn't feel my feet and I remembered they'd been sticking outside."
Borns didn't know it then, but the temperature that night had fallen to 13 below zero and his feet were steadily freezing.
"By this time I was really cold," he said. "I was stiff all over and I couldn't even struggle anymore to free myself."
"I knew then I'd probably die."
Borns doesn't remember much of that day, or of the second sub-zero night that followed.
He found relief from his fears in sleeping. Borns would have been far more relieved if he had realized that he had left clues to his location.
An elderly couple out skiing found those clues-a trail of Borns' footprints leading into the woods.
One of the skiers, Mrs. Flora Johnson, 61, said:
"We were surprised to find any signs of life. We also figured that whoever made these footprints hadn't returned."
Mrs. Johnson's husband, Rudolf, suggested they check and they followed the prints for 3 miles.
"Just by chance I saw a boot sticking out of a log. We thought we'd found a corpse," Mrs. Johnson said.
Said her husband: "I poked the foot and it was hard as a rock. But then I heard the man breathing. Then he groaned."
Unable to get Borns free, the Johnsons hiked 4 miles to their car, then drove 3 more miles to the nearest telephone.
A rescue party led by Sheriff Edward Sandri arrived just in time. Borns was near death.
He was rushed to a hospital where both of his frozen legs were amputated. After days of care and medical attention, he recovered.
The last footprints Borns will ever make had saved him.
PHOTO Recovering following the amputation of both his frozen legs, Henry Borns rests in a hospital bed.
PHOTO Trackers: Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Johnson followed footprints and found Borns after he'd been in the log two days.
PHOTO Rescuer: Sheriff Edward Sandri led a rescue party which arrived just in time to save Borns' life.
PHOTO Trap for 71-year old Borns was this hollow log in an isolated area. It nearly turned out to be his coffin.
OBITUARY of Robert Johnson 2002 (buried Stambaugh) says Flora (Oss) Johnson was his mother.
OBITUARY of Mabel Carlson 1997 (buried Resthaven) says Flora Johnson was her sister.
OBITUARY of Rudolph Johnson 1990 says in September 1925 he married the former Laura Oss, and the family resided in the original Johnson Family homestead in Bates Township.
INFORMATION FROM RELATIVE niece Edith Johnson Avise ([email protected])(daughter of Carl William) says very energetic & athletic: golf, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling. Would always be first of 5 daughters-in-law to get wash hung on Monday mornings. Spent final years at Medicare.
INFORMATION FROM WAYNE OHLSSON at www.rootsweb.com.
OBITUARY Iron County Reporter Dec 18 1991. Age 89.
NEWS ARTICLE National Enquirer April 26 1964 "Man, 71, Is Trapped In A Hollow Log For 2 Days" by Irving Gold with photos
Henry Borns, out on a winter hike, found a hollow log in which he could take a rest-and it almost became his final resting place.
Borns, 71, crawled inside the log for warmth and then discovered that he couldn't get out again.
He was trapped there in subzero weather for almost two days.
Borns suffered through this terrifying ordeal near the town of Iron River in Michigan last February 21.
It's an isolated, heavily wooded area that hunters avoid because there is virtually no life there.
"There was an icy wind blowing," Borns recalled. "I spotted the log and decided it would be a good place to use as a shelter while I rested."
"So I crawled in headfirst."
"I rested for a while, then decided it was time to go. But when I tried to move, I couldn't."
"I'd used my legs to push myself in, but I couldn't move."
"The more I wriggled, the more exhausted I got. And the struggling made me sweat."
Finally Borns fell asleep.
"When I woke up I was cold and it was getting dark," he said. "I knew I had to get out soon. I tried again but I still couldn't make it."
"Now I was getting scared."
Borns shouted, but his voice inside the log was just a muffled groan.
He knew, anyway, how unlikely it was that someone would pass by and hear him.
Outside the log, thick snow carpeted the woods. Through a tiny hole, Borns watched as darkness fell.
"I dozed off again, thinking how much this was like being buried alive. I never knew how long I slept."
"But when I came to, it was light. I couldn't feel my feet and I remembered they'd been sticking outside."
Borns didn't know it then, but the temperature that night had fallen to 13 below zero and his feet were steadily freezing.
"By this time I was really cold," he said. "I was stiff all over and I couldn't even struggle anymore to free myself."
"I knew then I'd probably die."
Borns doesn't remember much of that day, or of the second sub-zero night that followed.
He found relief from his fears in sleeping. Borns would have been far more relieved if he had realized that he had left clues to his location.
An elderly couple out skiing found those clues-a trail of Borns' footprints leading into the woods.
One of the skiers, Mrs. Flora Johnson, 61, said:
"We were surprised to find any signs of life. We also figured that whoever made these footprints hadn't returned."
Mrs. Johnson's husband, Rudolf, suggested they check and they followed the prints for 3 miles.
"Just by chance I saw a boot sticking out of a log. We thought we'd found a corpse," Mrs. Johnson said.
Said her husband: "I poked the foot and it was hard as a rock. But then I heard the man breathing. Then he groaned."
Unable to get Borns free, the Johnsons hiked 4 miles to their car, then drove 3 more miles to the nearest telephone.
A rescue party led by Sheriff Edward Sandri arrived just in time. Borns was near death.
He was rushed to a hospital where both of his frozen legs were amputated. After days of care and medical attention, he recovered.
The last footprints Borns will ever make had saved him.
PHOTO Recovering following the amputation of both his frozen legs, Henry Borns rests in a hospital bed.
PHOTO Trackers: Mr. and Mrs. Rudolf Johnson followed footprints and found Borns after he'd been in the log two days.
PHOTO Rescuer: Sheriff Edward Sandri led a rescue party which arrived just in time to save Borns' life.
PHOTO Trap for 71-year old Borns was this hollow log in an isolated area. It nearly turned out to be his coffin.
OBITUARY of Robert Johnson 2002 (buried Stambaugh) says Flora (Oss) Johnson was his mother.
OBITUARY of Mabel Carlson 1997 (buried Resthaven) says Flora Johnson was her sister.
OBITUARY of Rudolph Johnson 1990 says in September 1925 he married the former Laura Oss, and the family resided in the original Johnson Family homestead in Bates Township.
INFORMATION FROM RELATIVE niece Edith Johnson Avise ([email protected])(daughter of Carl William) says very energetic & athletic: golf, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling. Would always be first of 5 daughters-in-law to get wash hung on Monday mornings. Spent final years at Medicare.
INFORMATION FROM WAYNE OHLSSON at www.rootsweb.com.
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