A teenage hiker who vanished on one of Brazil's highest peaks has been found alive after a five-day ordeal with no mobile phone and little food, during which he hallucinated and believed he had died.
A terrifying separation on the trail
Roberto Farias Tomaz, aged 19, was hiking the trail to Pico Paraná, the tallest mountain in southern Brazil, with a friend on New Year's Day when the pair became separated. The young man subsequently disappeared, sparking a major search and rescue operation involving more than 100 firefighters and 300 volunteers.
With no means of communication and surviving on minimal supplies, Roberto trekked alone through dense woodland for approximately 20 kilometres. His journey finally ended on Monday, 5 January, when he reached a farm in the Cacatu area of Antonina municipality.
"I thought it was the end": A survivor's emotional account
Speaking to local media after his rescue, Roberto gave a harrowing account of his experience. "I thought it was the end," he confessed. He described suffering hallucinations and a grim belief that he "might have already died." To maintain his strength, he focused on his faith and thoughts of his family.
"I said, 'Look, I want to get home safe and sound. I just ask for protection for that,'" he recounted. He recalled hearing a rescue helicopter on the first day but later feared the search had been called off. "On the third day I said, 'Look, they may have called off the search, but God is with me and I'm going to follow this destiny, this path he gave me, this rocky path.'"
A community effort leads to a joyful reunion
Upon reaching the farm, Roberto borrowed a phone to call his sister and confirm he was alive. He was then taken to hospital for medical assessment and rehydration. Healthcare professionals confirmed he sustained only abrasions and no serious injuries.
His family, from Pinhais in the Curitiba metropolitan region, released a jubilant statement: "We found Roberto! He is alive, he is well, and he is already being taken to the hospital. Thank you to all the angels who came here to help us!"
In recovery, Roberto expressed profound gratitude. "I can only thank everyone who went up, those who prayed, those who felt this emotion along with my family... I can only thank God very much, also my mother, my main guide, and everyone, from the bottom of my heart."
The Governor of Paraná, Ratinho Junior, and the State Secretary of Public Security, Colonel Hudson Leoncio Teixeira, both praised the dedication of the rescue teams and volunteers, highlighting their coordinated efforts over the five-day search which ended in a successful rescue.
