VIDEO Woman gave birth in California wilderness, was found three days later after starting a forest fire
Talk about an interesting start to life: Baby Marissa Pangborn was born early last Thursday morning in the middle of a California national forest, and then spent the next three days stranded before mom Amber Pangborn started an acciental forest fire that led to their rescue.
Speaking to KCRA from her hospital this week, Amber said she decided to take a back road to her parents’ house when she started feeling contractions last Wednesday night. Before she had the chance to tell anyone her plans, she lost phone service and ran out of gas. She said she delivered baby Marissa in her car around 5 a.m. on Thursday.
“I laid out a sleeping back in the backseat, lied down, gripped the handle above the back window and gave birth to my daughter,” she told KHSL.
For the next three days, Amber said she fought off bugs that were attracted by the scent of blood and placenta.
“I was trying to get them not to sting her, but I got stung,” she said.
She explained she lived off a little bit of water and four apples she had in the car. On the third day, out of desperation, she decided to start a signal fire — but quickly lost control of it in the dry environment.
“The whole side of the mountain just caught on fire and I was looking at Marissa and I was just like, ‘I think Mommy just started a forest fire, honey.’”
Fortunately for them, a CALFIRE helicopter responded and found them within hours.
“I was just crying,” Amber said. “I was just so happy because I thought we were going to die.”
They were both transported to a local hospital before Marissa was taken to the larger UC Davis Medical Center on Sunday for more care. In a statement, Plumas National Forest supervisor Chris French commended the firefighters who saved Amber and Marissa and extinguished the fire.
