20/20: In An Instant 6/17 on ABC

20/20: In An Instant: ABC News’ ‘20/20: In An Instant’ Returns for its Third Season on Saturday, June 17, With the Harrowing Tale of Two Boys Buried Alive

May 30, 2017

WHEN TWO BOYS IN NEW YORK GO MISSING THE NIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING, NO ONE GUESSES THEY’RE BURIED ALIVE IN THEIR SNOW FORT

‘20/20: In An Instant” Continues Saturday, June 17, on ABC

Returning for its third season, “20/20: In An Instant” retells heart-pounding, first-hand accounts of the world’s most harrowing tales of survival by bringing them to life through breathtaking dramatizations. The powerful series features gripping interviews with the people whose lives were on the line and those who were instrumental in helping them survive. Ordinary people stared death in the face and outlasted tremendous odds. What key decisions did they make to save themselves? “20/20: In An Instant” continues on SATURDAY, JUNE 17 (9:00–11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network.



Episode 3 – “In an Instant: Lost in Snow”


It was the eve of Thanksgiving in Newburgh, New York, when two cousins, 11-year-old Papito Martinez and 9-year-old Jay Jay Rivera, went outside to build an epic snow fort. While working in freezing temperatures, a snowplow driver unknowingly dumped piles of heavy snow directly on top of the fort burying the boys alive. Martinez and Rivera had just enough air to breathe and just enough warmth to stay conscious and encourage one another not to give up.



Realizing the boys were missing once their 8 p.m. curfew passed, their families began an intensive campaign of door knocking and interviewing neighbors all while temperatures continued to drop.


Newburgh police officer Brandon Rola was relentless in his search. He investigated information provided by a girl who had played with Martinez and Rivera earlier that evening, but didn’t come across anything. Hours later, Officer Rola revisited the girl’s tip and this time he noticed a shovel near a massive pile of snow. He began digging and a few swings later, he hit a boot. Neighbors rushed to help – taking 10 minutes to free Martinez and another 10 minutes to get Rivera out.


In total the boys were buried for eight hours. Freezing, blue and taken to the hospital, Martinez and Rivera had good reason to give thanks on Thanksgiving, the day of their rescue.



“20/20: In An Instant” is executive produced by Maria Awes and Andy Awes for Committee Films in association with ABC News’ Lincoln Square Productions. Rudy Bednar is executive producer on behalf of Lincoln Square Productions.



ABOUT LINCOLN SQUARE PRODUCTIONS
ABC News’ Lincoln Square Productions produces original content for broadcast, cable and digital distribution specializing in compelling ways to tell fact-based stories, including ABC’s “What Would You Do?,” “Madoff,” “In An Instant” and the “Oscars® Opening Ceremony: Live From the Red Carpet,” Investigation Discovery’s “Barbara Walters Presents,” as well as documentary programming for a wide array of partners, including PBS, Discovery Communications and A&E Networks. Lincoln Square Productions is wholly owned by the American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. The headquarters are located in New York City’s Lincoln Square neighborhood. Danielle Rossen is vice president of unscripted production and Morgan Hertzan is senior vice president of Lincoln Square Productions.