Couple rescued after being snowed in for weeks at Sierra Nevada cabin

In December, as record-breaking winter storms slammed the Sierra Nevada, snarling roads and burying vehicles under several feet of snow, a couple and their small dog found themselves snowed into a Sierra County cabin.

Nearly two months later, they were rescued this week by a California Highway Patrol helicopter, authorities said.

The couple had been caretaking a property in northeastern Sierra County when they were snowed in Dec. 6. By late December, a series of storms had dumped nearly 15 feet of snow on the region, creating havoc on roadways and straining electrical and gas services as food and other supplies became scarce.

High snow levels and downed trees prevented the couple from leaving the cabin.

On Tuesday, the couple contacted the Sierra County Sheriff’s Office seeking help because they were running low on food, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The CHP helicopter battled strong winds to access the remote cabin.

Footage shared by the agency shows the helicopter approaching a brown, rustic cabin surrounded by snow and trees, with a pickup truck buried up to its tires in snow.

The couple, unidentified by the Sheriff’s Office and CHP, were eventually picked up by friends after being rescued.