Can a human being go into hibernation? In winter months, animals like rodents and bears enter a kind of organic stasis: their body temperature drops, their breathing and heart rate slow, and their metabolism lowers, letting them survive cold periods without food.
Obviously, humans don’t naturally go into hibernation, but one unique and well-documented 2012 incident from Sweden indicates that it’s at least theoretically possible.
Enter 44-year-old Peter Skyllberg, who set out on Dec. 19 2011 for a drive near the north-eastern town of Umeå. He doubtless assumed it would be a quick trip, but all too soon, snow began to fall. And fall. And fall…
Skyllberg’s car was entombed in snow, leaving him trapped inside. He could drink water from the snow around him, but he had no food, and the temperature inside the car began to plummet. In a fortunate twist, there was a sleeping bag in the car, so he wrapped himself up in it and awaited rescue.
Two months later, on Feb. 17, 2012, a pair of snowmobilers discovered what they assumed was a crashed car. They dug through a meter of snow to find a man lying on the back seat in a sleeping bag. Local police officer Ebbe Nyberg described what they saw:
“They were amazed at what they found: a man in his mid-40s huddled inside in a sleeping bag, starving and barely able to move or speak.”
One of the stunned rescuers said they also couldn’t believe Skyllberg had survived:
“It’s just incredible that he’s alive considering that he had no food, but also since it’s been really cold for some time after Christmas.”
Skyllberg was rushed to the hospital, but didn’t even need to be placed in the ICU. Though weak and emaciated, he was treated on a regular ward and doctors later reported he was “feeling well”. So, how on Earth did he survive this ordeal?
The iceman cometh
Dr Ulf Segerberg, the chief medical officer at Noorland’s University Hospital, believes Skyllberg was at the “upper limit” of what a human being could survive, saying that the car being covered in snow functioned in the same way as an igloo:
“This man obviously had good clothes; he’s had a sleeping bag and he’s been in a car that’s been snowed over. Igloos usually have a temperature of a couple of degrees below 0C and if you have good clothes you would survive in those temperatures and be able to preserve your body temperature.”
Another believes Skyllberg’s body may have entered a hibernation-like suspended animation: Dr. Stefan Branth, speaking to The Guardian, said: Skyllberg was “a bit like a bear that hibernates. Humans can do that. He probably had a body temperature of around 31C which the body adjusted to. Due to the low temperature, not much energy was used up.”
Catherine Collins, spokeswoman for the British Dietetics Association explained why he didn’t starve to death, pointing out that once he began to burn muscle for energy, his body would have greatly slowed calorie consumption. In addition, being trapped inside a car naturally limited how much energy he could expend, and while his immune system would weaken, being isolated in the snow prevented infections.
Luckily for Skyllberg, it seems he slept through long periods of his ordeal. But, despite this horror story, if your car is snowed under, the best advice is still to stay inside rather than venture out into a blizzard. Hopefully, help will arrive soon, so cut off the engine to avoid exhaust fumes poisoning you, and periodically use your horn, making three short honks to attract attention.
