MURPHY’S LAW WORKED OVERTIME

About to give birth, a woman takes a back road, gets lost, runs out of gas, gives birth, is attacked by bees and after being stranded for three days, is rescued when she set mountain on fire

By Gamaliel Ortiz

KCRA.com
June 29, 2015

OROVILLE, Calif. —An Oroville woman going into labor decided to take the back roads to her parents' home for help, but soon found herself in more trouble than expected.

It began with her gas and cell service running out in the Plumas County National Forest.

"I was told about this back road and people had showed it to me a few times, but I had never driven it by myself," Amber Pangborn told an NBC affiliate in Oroville.

As she traveled down French Creek Road -- not long before running out of gas and cell service -- Pangborn gave birth to her daughter, Marissa. She did it alone on Thursday.

Pangborn, 35, was stranded for the next three days. In that time, she encountered a swarm of bees and mosquitoes.

"I was trying to get them not to sting her, but I got stung," Pangborn said.

She survived only off a few apples and modest amounts of water.

On Saturday, three days into her ordeal, she decided to start a signal fire, hoping to attract some attention -- but that didn't go as planned.

"I think mommy just started a forest fire," Pangborn recalled telling her daughter shortly after starting the fire.

Within hours, the fire was tracked by a U.S. Forest Service worker, and Pangborn and her daughter were found safe.

"I was just crying, and I was just so happy," Pangborn, said. "I thought we were going to die."

They were admitted to Oroville Hospital, and the baby was taken to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento on Sunday for further evaluation.

The two are expected to be reunited soon.