Alicia Sanchez: Mom Sees Son Carlos, 11, Die in Desert

by Tina Kells | August 11, 2009 at 12:02 pm

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Outliving your child is a parent's worst nightmare, but watching them die is something unfathomable. The sad case of a mom who watched her son die in the desert is a real life horror story. Mom Alicia Sanchez, 28, had to watch as her son Carlos, 11, slowly died in the Death Valley desert after the two became stranded with few supplies.

Alicia Sanchez survived the five day Death Valley ordeal but her young son Carlos did not. Sanchez was originally listed as in critical condition at Sunrise Hospital in Nevada. Her status has since been upgraded to good condition, although emotionally she is undoubtedly still critical.

Sanchez is a registered nurse employed with AMN Healthcare in Southern Nevada. She and Carlos were on a family vacation and he was reportedly "super excited" to be spending quality time with his mom. The pair had been traveling throughout Nevada and were on their way home after a stay in Las Vegas when their Jeep became stuck in the Mojave Desert.

Trapped in Death Valley, mother and son did not have enough supplies to last the five days they were stranded. Only three gallons of water between the two in the heat of the Mojave Desert is barely enough for one day, let alone five. A GPS device they had with them failed to work because the area where they were stranded was too remote.

Tryon is based out of Las Vegas and takes weekly trips to Death Valley, but has never ventured to the spot where this mother and her son became stranded.

The two had a cell phone and a GPS device on hand, but neither worked because of the isolated area they were in.

They only had three gallons of water, cheese sandwiches and pop tarts to survive for the five day stretch.

A park ranger spotted some tire tracks leading to an abandoned tire and a water bottle. That's when he reportedly found mom dehydrated and devastated.

She told authorities, her son had died the day before.

"They should be dead, as simple as that. I hate to be that cold and callous about it, but to survive that period of time with what they had with them was remarkable," added Tryon.

Her story of survival in the desert was outweighed by the upset of watching her 11-year-old boy become a casualty of the elements.