Woman Who Went Missing with Husband During RV Trip Reveals What Happened and How She Survived

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A woman who was found alive in the Nevada mountains after going missing for over a week with her husband is revealing what happened.

Beverly Barker and her husband Ron disappeared last week after their RV was last seen at a Nevada gas station. Beverly was found Tuesday and airlifted to a Reno hospital but sadly Ron died.

On Wednesday, Beverly, 69, spoke with her family — including nephew Travis Peters, a photographer, and editor at NBC's Indianapolis affiliate WTHR 13 — and explained that the pair got stuck after following "bad GPS directions."

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"It was one of those things where the GPS said, 'Go this way' and they went that way. They saw other vehicles and I think she said they saw other campers," Peters told the outlet of what his aunt explained about the incident.

They got lost on March 27 and their RV got stuck that night. The next morning, Beverly and Ron, 72, got into the KIA SUV they had been towing to go and look for help, her nephew explained.

"They didn't think about bringing food, or water or blankets," Peters also said. "They just made this route, 'We'll just go back the same way' they came."

But about two miles from the RV, the Barkers' SUV got stuck again, west of Silver Peak in a remote part of Nevada.

Realizing they were in trouble, the couple began using the car horn to call for help.

"This is so my uncle Ronnie. He started tapping SOS on the horn every ten minutes," Peters said. "He would pound SOS out."

RELATED VIDEO: Missing Man Found Dead, Wife Hospitalized After Their RV Is Discovered in Remote Area of Nevada

Peters went on to describe how his aunt and uncle battled hunger, dehydration, and the cold, huddling in the back of their vehicle for warmth.

"As Ronnie got worse, they were trying their best to huddle together and stay warm," he said.

Beverly, who usually uses a walker or wheelchair, walked to get snow for the pair to drink.

"She had a walker and would make it up the hill and had a couple sacks and put snow in and make it back down," Peters told WTHR.

Tragically, Peters explained on the GoFundMe page he set up for the Barkers that a rescue team arrived on Tuesday, just 26 hours after Ron died.

"As the days and the nights passed, my uncle Ronnie told her he was dying," Peters told the news site where he works. "And she said, 'I know.' They knew it was dehydration."

After Ron died on Monday afternoon, it was Beverly's persistence on the car horn that ultimately saved her life.

"She remembered the SOS that Uncle Ronnie taught her. Beeping that horn is what brought rescuers to her," Peters said.

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In a statement provided to the news outlet, the family of the Barkers thanked the rescue team that found and saved Beverly.

"Ronnie Barker loved his family and loved his country. He served our nation proud over his 26-year career in the United States Air Force," the statement read, going on to say how he "was proud of his faith and was always willing to give to others. He was funny, witty, and was the spark of energy that everyone gravitated toward."

"Our family grieves over this news, and we question the roadblocks that seemed to stifle the search from the moment we were made aware of their disappearance," the statement also said. "It's our hope that Ronnie Barker's legacy will be changing policy that will allow for a more expeditious approach to locating missing persons of all ages for both non-residents and residents of the state of Nevada. We call upon the citizens of Nevada to stand up and demand that changes be made at ALL levels of Public Safety to avoid the hurdles that our family faced as we attempted to bring resources into the search of our loved ones."

The family's GoFundMe page, established to help mitigate costs associated with bringing Ron's remains back to his home state of Indiana, says it will donate any remaining funds "to an organization to aid in the search and rescue of missing persons."

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Nine days after the Barkers disappeared, authorities were able to locate their RV around 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday. "Due to the remote area where the motorhome was located it took several hours for these teams to reach it," police wrote, adding that upon their arrival, they discovered that "the motorhome appeared to be stuck."

"After a search of the motorhome, it was determined foul play was not involved," police wrote. Search and rescue teams were then "able to locate and follow the tire tracks" from the couple's car, which they found alongside the couple about 2 miles away.

"Everyone involved would like to give condolences to the family of Ronnie and Beverly Barker. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family during these trying times," police added.