Richard Iseke, another physician who commented on the case in a January 1981 article, offered a more measured assessment than the “miracle” framing that some of the coverage used.

He noted that full recoveries from what appeared to be extreme hypothermia had been documented before — that Jean Hilliard’s case, while remarkable, was not unique in the history of hypothermia medicine.

What was unusual was the degree of peripheral freezing she appeared to have suffered while her core somehow remained sufficiently protected.

The key variable may have been the rate of cooling.

Six hours at -22 degrees Fahrenheit is a long time in terrible cold.