A man went out to ask for help for his car stuck in the snow and froze to death

A tragic event has brought mourning to the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. In the midst of a wave of extreme cold that has hit Patagonia From the neighboring country, an 80-year-old man, missing since July 3, was found dead.

The victim was identified as Luis Alberto Franulic Cepernic who was a renowned rancher and nephew of the former governor of the same province, Jorge Cepernic.

Last Wednesday, July 3, Franulic was driving his Ford Ranger on Provincial Road 9 to go to the La Rosita ranch, which he had managed for years. It was the last day he was seen alive.

According to the media Southern opinion Due to the accumulation of snow on the road, his vehicle got stuck. He tried different solutions but nothing got it working again, so he decided to walk to ask for help.

He managed to walk about fifteen kilometers. Faced with the extreme cold that day, he could not resist and fell in the snow.

Authorities in the region were alerted to the man’s disappearance on Friday evening, two days later. The province’s Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) has requested the cooperation of the Rural Operations Directorate, so that the search can begin soon.

The next day, in the middle of an operation, Franulic’s lifeless body was found on the side of Provincial Road 9, about 65 kilometers from the city of El Calafate. About 15 kilometres from where the victim was identified was the Ford Ranger, still stuck in the snow.

After the discovery, the Criminalistics Division of El Calafate carried out the necessary investigations and the Special Transfer Unit of the Legal Medical Corps proceeded to remove the body, which was transferred to the same city in the province.

Sandra Gordillo, Santa Cruz’s undersecretary of Civil Defense, explained to the media: TN than in Franulic “The truck got stuck and he walked on the road, but due to the low temperatures he died instantly.” .

Gordillo also stressed that in recent days the snow accumulated on the roads is “a lot”, so it is necessary for the inhabitants of the area to increase security measures.

This is not the first time in 2024 that a victim has died amid the cold waves that are occurring in the province of Santa Cruz. At the end of June, a homeless man identified as Oscar Victor Quinteros died of cardiorespiratory arrest, a consequence of the low temperatures.