For most people, April Fools’ Day is a pretty harmless affair. What happened to Angela and Andrew Dower in Ocotillo Wells in 2023 was no practical joke.

“I do remember just waking u, and then hearing about what happened,” Andrew said. “And that’s a very bad feeling: of just learning about what happened to you.”

What Andrew doesn’t remember included multiple seizures and an emergency helicopter ride to the hospital. As an epileptic, seizures aren’t unusual for him, but the number he suffered that evening was.

“He kept seizing,” Angela told NBC 7. "He went to 3, 4, 5, 6. I knew something was wrong." NBC 7

After Angela called 911, park rangers and medics agreed with her assessment. Andrew needed to get to an emergency room. But even in an ambulance, a drive would take too long.

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