Adam and Emily Harteau are American artists and content creators best known for founding Our Open Road, an ambitious overlanding family project launched in 2012. Their multi-year journey across South America in a Volkswagen van gained international media coverage in October 2017 when the family survived a river pirate hijacking in the Brazilian Amazon.
Who Are Adam and Emily Harteau?
Adam Harteau, an artist, designer, and musician from California, and Emily Harteau, a photographer, baker, and clothing designer, captured global attention by documenting an extended alternative lifestyle. In 2012, the couple decided to step away from traditional routines in Los Angeles to embark on a year-long road trip to Patagonia with their young daughter, Colette.
What began as a 12-month sabbatical evolved into a multi-year nomadic expedition throughout South America. During their travels, their second daughter, Sierra, was born in Florianópolis, Brazil. The family chronicled their daily life, cultural exchanges, art sales, and logistical challenges online under the brand Our Open Road, building a massive international following across social media platforms and independent travel publications.
- Los Angeles, California
- 2012 Expedition Launch
- VW Vanagon South America Overland
- 2014
- Family Expansion: Sierra born in Brazil
- October 2017
- Amazon River Transit & Pirate Hijacking
- Survival & Rescue
- Safe Return & Transition to Creative Studios
The Birth of 'Our Open Road': From Los Angeles to South America
The foundation of the Harteau family's public prominence began long before the headline-grabbing events in Brazil. In 2012, Adam and Emily executed a plan to minimalist-proof their lives, sell off non-essential belongings, and fund an overland vehicle build tailored for extended off-grid living.
Preparing the 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia
The core of their expedition was a modified 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia. To make the vehicle suitable for thousands of miles of varied terrain—ranging from high-altitude Andean passes to humid tropical routes—the van underwent several mechanical and structural modifications:
- Subaru Engine Swap: Replacing the original, prone-to-overheating VW engine with a higher-horsepower, more reliable Subaru 2.2L boxer engine to handle steep elevation shifts.
- Off-Grid Solar Integration: Mounting custom solar arrays on the pop-top roof to power auxiliary fridges, mobile photography gear, and battery banks.
- Custom Storage and Sleeping: Designing dual-tier sleeping arrangements to accommodate a growing family without sacrificing vehicle maneuverability.
Funding Nomadic Living: Crowdfunding and Artisanal Commerce
To sustain their travels beyond the initial 12-month budget, the Harteaus pioneered an early framework for independent travel monetization:
- Kickstarter Campaigns: Raising initial capital by offering supporters physical postcards, photo prints, and custom artwork produced on the road.
- The Open Road Bazaar: Sourcing handcrafted textiles, ceramics, and jewelry directly from indigenous artisans across South America and selling them online to international buyers.
- Visual Storytelling: Partnering with eco-conscious lifestyle brands, travel publications, and commercial photography clients while on location.
Their travel philosophy prioritized immersive slow travel—spending weeks or months in single communities, learning local customs, and encouraging their daughters to adapt to diverse languages and natural environments.
The October 2017 Amazon River Hijacking and Survival
In late October 2017, after five years of successful travel through North, Central, and South America, the Harteau family faced a dangerous crisis in the Amazon delta region of Pará, Brazil.
Amazon Delta Transit Route:
- Macapá
- Barge Transit
- Breves Channel Area
- Planned: Belém
- Pirate Attack
- Jungle Escape & Survival
- 72 Hours
- Rescued by Local Caboclos
The River Crossing from Macapá to Belém
Because roads do not connect Macapá to Belém across the massive mouth of the Amazon River, vehicle transport requires loading cars and buses onto commercial freight barges or wooden river ferries. The route navigates narrow water channels known locally as furos, surrounded by dense, unpopulated rainforest.
These narrow river passages have historically been vulnerable to river pirates—locally referred to as piratas do asfalto or ratos d'água (water rats)—who target commercial vessels carrying freight, cash, and passengers.
The Hijacking Near Breves, Pará
On October 29, 2017, the river vessel carrying the Harteau family, their VW Vanagon, and other passengers was boarded near the municipality of Breves by armed bandits.
- Boarding: Heavily armed assailants forced the vessel to pull toward the riverbank.
- Hostage Situation: The crew and passengers were held at gunpoint for several hours while the attackers looted high-value cargo, electronics, personal items, and cash.
- The Escape: Realizing the volatility of the situation and fearing for the safety of their young daughters (Colette, age 7, and Sierra, age 3), Adam and Emily took advantage of a distraction during the looting to flee off the vessel and slip into the dense jungle cover along the riverbank.
Three Days of Jungle Survival
Without emergency supplies, directional navigation tools, or jungle gear, the four family members navigated the coastal rainforest of the Amazon delta for approximately 72 hours.
During their three days lost in the bush:
- Hydration and Food: They consumed stream water and relied on indigenous fruits, including naturally occurring palm berries, while avoiding unknown foliage.
- Shelter and Insects: They faced intense heat, severe rain showers, high humidity, and swarms of biting insects, using natural foliage to create basic ground shelters and protect the children.
- Movement: The family stayed near natural drainage channels, knowing river paths eventually connect to populated waterways.
Search Operations and Rescue
When the hijacked vessel reached a secure port, passengers alerted Brazilian authorities that an American family was missing.
The Pará State Secretariat of Public Security (SEGUP) immediately initiated a joint search operation involving:
- The Pará Civil Police (Polícia Civil) and Military Police (Polícia Militar).
- The Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil), deploying patrol boats.
- Specialized search-and-rescue helicopter units.
- Local river dwellers (caboclos), whose native knowledge of the waterway network proved essential.
On November 1, 2017, local river dwellers spotted the family near the shoreline in a remote section of the Breves channel. The family was evacuated to a medical facility in Breves, suffering from dehydration, exhaustion, and insect bites, but without critical injuries.
Chronological Overview of the Harteau Journey
| Year / Period | Phase / Key Event | Primary Location | Key Details & Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Launch of Our Open Road | Los Angeles, USA to Mexico | Sold personal assets; outfitted 1990 VW Vanagon Westfalia with a Subaru engine. |
| 2012–2014 | Central & South American Transit | Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil | Transited international borders; established The Open Road Bazaar to support local artisans. |
| 2014 | Expansion of Family | Florianópolis, Brazil | Second daughter, Sierra Harteau, was born during their long-term stay in southern Brazil. |
| 2015–2017 | Southern Cone & Amazon Logistics | Patagonia, Argentina, Peru, Brazil | Completed multi-thousand-mile high-altitude and coastal routes; documented remote cultures. |
| Oct 2017 | Amazon Ferry Hijacking & Escape | Breves Channel, Pará, Brazil | Survived an armed pirate attack aboard a river barge; escaped into the rainforest with two children. |
| Nov 2017 | Discovery and Rescue | Breves / Belém, Brazil | Found after 72 hours in the jungle by local river dwellers and Brazilian authorities. |
| 2018–2026 | Return & Creative Evolution | California, USA & Global | Shifted focus to curated photo publishing, studio design, travel advisories, and sustainable apparel. |
Technical and Security Lessons for Remote Overlanders
The Harteau family's ordeal highlighted key security considerations for long-distance overlanders, international remote workers, and expedition planners navigating remote regions of developing countries.
1. Assessing Regional Transit Risks
When driving or transporting vehicles internationally, standard overland routes may force travelers onto maritime, ferry, or train transits where security standards differ from road corridors.
- Geographic Risk Mapping: The Amazon River delta, particularly around the Breves channels (Furo dos Macacos), has long been identified by international travel security advisories as a high-risk area for river piracy.
- Vessel Vetting: When taking vehicle-carrying barges, travelers should opt for daytime express runs rather than slow, overnight freight vessels that present easy targets for unauthorized boardings.
- Government Security Reports: Reviewing warnings from foreign consulates—such as the U.S. Department of State's consular information sheets—provides localized data on transit vulnerabilities.
2. Redundant Communication and Tracking Systems
A major challenge during the 2017 search was the complete absence of cellular coverage in the river channels, preventing the family from transmitting GPS coordinates when they fled into the bush.
Modern off-grid overlanding protocols recommend layered tracking technologies:
Recommended Overland Redundancy:
- Primary: Cellular Data
- Fails
- Secondary: Satellite Messenger
- Fails
- Tertiary: Local Radio/PLB
- Dedicated Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs): Operating on the 406 MHz satellite frequency, PLBs send direct distress signals to international search-and-rescue satellites, bypassing local cellular networks.
- Satellite Messengers: Devices using networks like Iridium allow one-touch SOS signals along with continuous passive tracking points for family members back home.
- Analog Off-Grid Kits: Compact survival items—water purification tablets, signal mirrors, fire starters, and emergency bivvy sacks—should remain attached to a individual's person (bug-out pouch) when transiting high-risk regions.
3. Crisis Response in High-Risk Situations
The Harteaus' decision to flee into an unfamiliar jungle carried significant risks, but was driven by the uncertain volatility of armed assailants on a confined vessel. Security experts analyze such scenarios under specific tactical considerations:
- Confinement vs. Escape: Fleeing a crime scene into harsh natural environments eliminates immediate exposure to armed actors, but exposes individuals to environmental hazards like dehydration, animal threats, and spatial disorientation.
- Group Integrity: Staying together as a single unit—as the Harteau family did—is critical during jungle escapes to prevent separation and simplify search efforts for rescue teams.
- Utilizing Natural Waterways: Lost travelers should generally follow smaller water trickles to larger streams, which typically lead to major river channels where human traffic or native settlements (caboclos) exist.
Life After the Amazon: Post-2017 Activities and Legacy
Following their safe extraction from Brazil, Adam and Emily Harteau returned to the United States to recover, re-evaluate their long-term travel plans, and transition into new creative ventures.
- 2012 - 2017: Overland Phase
- 1990 VW Vanagon Expedition
- On-the-road Artisanal Sourcing
- Travel Blogging & Social Media Growth
- 2018 - 2026: Studio & Design Phase
- Fine Art Photography Publications
- Residential & Commercial Studio Design
- Sustainable Apparel & Creative Direction
Studio Design, Fine Art, and Creative Consulting
In the years following their return, both Adam and Emily channeled their extensive travel experience into visual arts, commercial design, and product curation:
- Adam Harteau Fine Art: Adam focused on painting, photography, and fine art prints capturing landscapes, botanical forms, and high-altitude topographies encountered during his travels.
- Emily Harteau Design & Curation: Emily expanded her work into interior styling, culinary design, and commercial creative direction, collaborating with global lifestyle brands.
- Publishing: The family released photo books and print publications highlighting the beauty of South American landscapes, the craftsmanship of rural artisans, and the realities of extended family travel.
Influence on the Overlanding Community
Our Open Road remains a foundational case study in the overlanding community. The project demonstrated that long-term, multi-year vehicle travel was achievable for young families on moderate budgets. At the same time, their 2017 survival story served as a sober reminder of the unpredictability of international transit, prompting travel creators to prioritize security, insurance, and emergency planning alongside visual storytelling.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was 'Our Open Road'?
Our Open Road was a nomadic lifestyle, art, and travel project created by Adam and Emily Harteau. Launched in 2012, it documented their journey driving a 1990 VW Vanagon Westfalia from Los Angeles through Central and South America alongside their two daughters.
How long were Adam and Emily Harteau missing in the Amazon?
The Harteau family was missing for approximately 72 hours (three days) in late October 2017. They fled into the dense rainforest near Breves, Brazil, after their river transport barge was boarded by armed pirates, and were rescued on November 1, 2017.
How did the Harteau family survive in the jungle?
They stayed together near water channels, consumed native fruits like palm berries, and avoided drinking untreated stagnant water where possible. Local knowledge, mutual support, and endurance allowed them to survive until local caboclo river dwellers and search units located them along the bank.
What kind of vehicle did Adam and Emily Harteau drive?
They traveled in a custom-modified 1990 Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia camper van. The vehicle featured an upgraded Subaru 2.2-liter engine for reliability in mountain passes, solar power systems, and custom interior storage.
What are Adam and Emily Harteau doing today?
Adam and Emily operate creative studios focused on fine art photography, interior design, brand consulting, and curated goods. They continue to create artwork and publish photography inspired by their global travels while raising their daughters in California.
Summary and Practical Recommendations for Remote Adventurers
The story of Adam and Emily Harteau illustrates both the rewards of alternative, self-directed international travel and the unpredictable hazards of remote expeditions. For travelers planning extended overland journeys through international regions, incorporating robust security protocols is as vital as mechanical preparation.
Essential Checklist for High-Risk International Overlanding
- Vet Waterway and Transit Corridors: Research local transport routes through official diplomatic advisories, security forums, and overlanding networks (such as iOverlander) before booking vehicle ferries.
- Carry Independent Satellite Communications: Never rely solely on local cellular networks. Carry a satellite messenger or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) affixed to your body during transit.
- Maintain Emergency Contingency Funds: Store physical foreign currency and secondary documentation in hidden, waterproof compartments outside your main vehicle luggage.
- Register with Consular Services: Use government registration tools (such as the U.S. State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program - STEP) so authorities can quickly track and assist your party in an emergency.
- Prioritize Group Safety Over Property: In the event of armed robbery or hijacking, prioritize physical safety and escape options over preserving vehicles, electronics, or personal belongings.
