One of the best tests of character is to examine what happens when you drop said character in it. I quite enjoy doing this! And you get at least a good scene out of it too. Their basic main trait will come to light doing this (are they heroic? are they cowardly?). You should also see how the character reacts to stress.
So things may have gone horribly wrong for your creation but for you, as writer, things are opening up. Knowing the way your character reacts when under pressure will shape the way you write for that character for the rest of the story.