▁by ▁a ▁severe ▁snow st orm ▁that ▁day . ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁after ▁search ers ▁in ▁Snow c ats ▁nearly ▁got ▁lost ▁themselves , ▁further ▁efforts ▁were ▁called ▁off ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁weather . ▁No ▁trace ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁was ▁found ▁other ▁than ▁the ▁car . ▁ ▁S ight ings ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁local ▁media ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁case , ▁police ▁received ▁reports ▁of ▁some ▁or ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁being ▁sight ed ▁after ▁they ▁had ▁left ▁Ch ico , ▁reports ▁of ▁them ▁being ▁seen ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁California ▁or ▁the ▁country . ▁Most ▁were ▁easily ▁dismiss ed , ▁but ▁two ▁stood ▁out . ▁ ▁Joseph ▁Sch ons ▁of ▁Sac r amento ▁told ▁police ▁he ▁in ad vert ently ▁w ound ▁up ▁sp ending ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁February ▁ 2 4 – 2 5 ▁near ▁where ▁the ▁Monte go ▁was ▁found . ▁He ▁had ▁driven ▁up ▁there , ▁where ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁cabin , ▁to ▁check ▁the ▁snow pack ▁in ▁advance ▁of ▁a ▁week end ▁ski ▁trip ▁with ▁his ▁family . ▁At ▁ 5 : 3 0   p . m ., ▁about ▁ ▁up ▁the ▁road , ▁he , ▁too , ▁had ▁got ten ▁stuck ▁in ▁the ▁snow . ▁In ▁the ▁process ▁of ▁trying ▁to ▁free ▁it , ▁he ▁realized ▁he ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁experience ▁the ▁early ▁sympt oms ▁of ▁a ▁heart ▁attack ▁and ▁went ▁back ▁in , ▁keeping ▁the ▁engine ▁running ▁to ▁provide ▁heat . ▁ ▁Six ▁hours ▁later , ▁lying ▁in ▁the ▁car ▁and ▁experien cing ▁severe ▁pain ,