What happenedThey left Mays Landing, New Jersey, on the morning of December 24, 2016, driving a silver Toyota RAV4 toward Morven, North Carolina (about a 500+ mile trip) to visit family for the holidays. Barbara, a former New Jersey Transit bus driver who had made the trip many times, was experienced behind the wheel and had no known major medical issues.
They were last seen around 5:30–6 p.m. that evening at an Exxon gas station in Ruther Glen, Virginia (Caroline County, roughly 30 miles north of Richmond). Barbara went inside asking for help with directions due to highway construction and assistance with her phone’s GPS. After leaving the station, contact was lost; her phone later went unanswered or powered down. Family reported them missing when they failed to arrive as expected.
A multi-state search involving police in New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, and others (plus the FBI) followed. No foul play was suspected.How they were foundOn the afternoon of Wednesday, December 28 (about four days later), a property owner in rural Dinwiddie County, Virginia (south of Richmond, several miles from Interstate 85), spotted the RAV4 on his private land. The vehicle was at least a mile from the nearest paved road (off Nash Road), stuck after Barbara had driven down a dirt path into the woods, run over a small tree, and gotten stuck while trying to reverse.
The man recognized the car from news reports, approached, and found Barbara and La’Myra sitting against a tree roughly 45–50 feet from the vehicle (Barbara was unconscious or unresponsive; La’Myra was alert, talkative, and in relatively good shape under covers). He called 911. Authorities credited him with likely saving their lives.
They had apparently been there for several days but survived on snacks, juice boxes, apples, and water they had with them. Unseasonably mild weather also helped. Family later noted that young La’Myra had helped care for her great-grandmother by sharing food/water and covering her with a blanket.Barbara was airlifted in serious condition to VCU Medical Center in Richmond for treatment; she later improved, became alert, and recovered. La’Myra was evaluated, appeared unharmed, and was quickly reunited with family. The family expressed gratitude and described the outcome as an answer to prayers.