• Tweet
• Share
• Email
• Print

(KTNV) -- A modern day treasure hunt almost went horribly wrong for one woman recently in New Mexico.

The woman was lured to the New Mexico wilderness in hopes of striking it rich.

It almost sounds like something out of a movie.

Two years ago, collector and millionaire Forrest Fenn hid a chest filled with gold and jewels worth almost $2 million.

He decided to stash the treasure when he found out that he was dying of cancer. He wanted it to be his parting gift to the world.

There is no map. Just a cryptic poem that he says is filled with clues.

Sharon Thompson of Texas decided to try her luck and find the treasure last weekend. Unfortunately, a winter storm moved in and she ended up stranded in the rugged wilderness.

After two days and a night of frigid temperatures, a search crew was able to find Thompson.

She is one of thousands that have been flocking to New Mexico to try and find the treasure.

And, like all good treasure tales, this one has a twist.

Fenn's cancer has been cured but he is not looking to reclaim his riches.

Fenn says the loot is still somewhere in the mountains north of Santa Fe. He says that hunters will not be able to find it by accident but it's not be too difficult either.

Some people believe that there is no treasure and that it is all a publicity stunt cooked up by Fenn to sell copies of his self-published autobiography.

The book, released in 2011, is currently in the Top 25 of Amazon's best-seller list and is currently sold out.

Fenn says he is not making any money off it though and that all proceeds are going to cancer charities.

The hidden treasure chest is supposedly filled with pieces of gold, a 17th-century Spanish emerald ring, a ruby-studded bracelet, small diamonds and other items.

If you want to give it a try, here is a link to the poem.