OROVILLE (KRON) – An Oroville woman is telling her remarkable story of survival after she says she took a wrong turn, got stranded, and ended up giving birth in the woods last week.
Amber Pangborn says she went into labor and started driving toward her parents’ house. She tried to take a shortcut, but instead ended up stranded on a remote road in the Plumas County National Forest. She had no cellphone service and her car had run out of gas.
The 35-year-old woman says she gave birth to a baby girl around 5 a.m. on Thursday. According to Pangborn, she had limited supplies: four apples and a small amount of water. During the ordeal, she says she had to fight off mosquitoes and bees.
“The meat bees came out and were trying to get the placenta,” Pangborn said.
The new mother says she managed to keep the bees from her baby, but she got stung herself.
On Saturday, Pangborn says she was able to start a signal fire with a lighter and an aerosol can. The plan worked. The fire was eventually picked up by the U.S. Forest Service fire detection system.
“I think mommy just started a forest fire,” Pangborn recalled telling her baby after starting the fire.
Within hours, a rescue helicopter discovered Pangborn and her newborn daughter who has been named, Marissa.
“I was just crying. I thought we were going to die,” Pangborn said. “I was just so glad that someone had seen us and we were going to be OK.”
Mother and baby were admitted to Oroville Hospital. The infant was later transported to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for further evaluation.