Man ‘Frozen to Death’ Brought Back to Life

Man ‘Frozen to Death’ Brought Back to Life

It was last February when Don Smith found his son frozen in a snow bank.

Immobilized by a blistering snowstorm for 10 hours, Justin, 25, was on his way home from a bar when he blacked out and fell into the snow. When he didn’t come home, his father, like any good parent, went looking for him.

“I put the car in park and I just ran to him and I started shaking his head. And I said, ‘No, you can’t leave me. You can’t leave me,’” Don said.

He was so solidified, when he was finally brought to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest, doctors couldn’t even pronounce him dead since he was so ‘frozen’. So they focused their efforts on warming him up, inside and out, and shocking his heart.

“Next thing, I know I’m waking up in Cedar Crest Hospital. Family was all around me. I was shocked,” Justin said. “I knew my pinkies were gone; it could have been a lot worse. They went the extra effort and I can’t thank them enough.”

Along with the little fingers, Justin lost his toes from the frostbite, too. Fortunately, there’s no lasting neurological damage; he’s since returned to school, continuing to pursue his psychology degree.

Photo Credit: OneSideProFoto/Shutterstock

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