By Lucy Adautin
A hiker in California has been rescued after being stranded in the mountains for 10 days, surviving primarily on wild berries and about a gallon (3.8 liters) of water daily.
Lukas McClish, 34, embarked on what was intended to be a three-hour hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains on June 11. However, he quickly lost his way, partly due to recent wildfires that had destroyed landmarks in the area.
His family reported him missing on June 16 when he failed to show up for Father’s Day, initiating a multi-day search and rescue operation.
McClish was found on Thursday after a drone from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office detected him.
In a post on X, Cal Fire San Mateo, which participated in the rescue efforts, mentioned that there were “multiple reports of witnesses hearing someone yelling for help, but the location of that person was hard to establish”.
They reported that McClish was located in the forest between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway in Santa Cruz County.
He was discovered with no major injuries and was reunited with his family, according to the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office.
“This truly was a team effort with the best outcome we could have hoped for,” the sheriff’s office stated.
In an interview with a local news outlet, McClish recounted that he went hiking that day with “just a pair of pants, my hiking shoes, and a hat.”
“I had a flashlight, and a pair of folding scissors, like a Leatherman tool. And that was about it,” he added.
He survived by drinking large quantities of water, which he collected using his boot.
“I just made sure I drank a gallon of water every day, but then after, getting close to the end of it, my body needed food and some kind of sustenance,” he said.
McClish mentioned that the ordeal left him “tired and a little sore,” and that he was moved by the sight of all the rescue teams that had searched for him.
“It was just really humbling and I don’t know, it was an awesome experience,” McClish said, but noted that he likely would not be venturing into the wilderness again soon.
“I did enough hiking for probably the whole rest of the year,” he concluded.
