A 34-year-old hiker who went missing for 10 days in the remote Californian wilderness has revealed that he survived by drinking water from his shoe, sleeping on wet leaves, and eating wild berries. Lukas McClish disappeared on June 10 after setting out on a three-hour walk through the Big Basin Redwoods in Boulder Creek.
Mr McClish, an experienced hiker, had met a friend before the trek but did not inform anyone of his plans. The alarm was raised on June 16 by his parents when he failed to attend a Father's Day meal. Over nine nights and ten days, he lost two and a half stone (15.87kg).
As conditions worsened, Mr McClish developed hypothermia on day eight and slipped on a rock face. He shouted for help over two days before some of the 300 park rangers deployed to find him heard his calls at 7.30pm on Thursday. A drone and sniffer dog were used to locate the shirtless hiker.
After his rescue, Mr McClish was reunited with his family and spent a night in hospital, where doctors removed rocks from his back and bandaged his arms. He told the media that he thought about food throughout his ordeal, saying, 'I wanted a burrito or a taco bowl.' When found, he feared he was hallucinating. Despite the experience, Mr McClish said he has not given up hiking but will take a break for the rest of the year.
