"Potion made from boots"

Hiker survived 10 days in the wilderness in the USA

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Joshua Resnick)

A 34-year-old from California actually only wanted to set off on a short hike - but got lost and ended up spending ten days alone in the wilderness. He survived by eating wild berries and drinking water from his boot.

"I didn't have anything with me because I thought I'd just do a three-hour hike and then go to work," the hiker told local media about his ordeal. Because it was only supposed to be a short trip on June 11, he didn't tell anyone where he was going. When he failed to show up for a meeting, his family raised the alarm on June 16. He only had a flashlight and a pair of folding scissors with him.

Hiker dreamed of "burrito and taco bowl"
A serious mistake that almost proved fatal for the 34-year-old. Because McClish lost his bearings in the wilderness. The fight for his survival ultimately lasted nine nights and ten days. An unusual motivation drove him not to give up: "I want a burrito and a taco bowl - I thought about that every day when I realized after the first five days that I might be out of my depth."

In this post, you can see what McClish looked like after his rescue:

Drones tracked down missing man
He found a companion in the wilderness. "A mountain lion followed me, but that was cool. He kept his distance. I think it was just someone looking out for me," the hiker believes. He kept calling for help - last week Thursday, these cries were finally heard by several witnesses. Drones were sent into the air to find the missing man. 

After his rescue, the hiker gave an interview:

Rescuer: "It shows what a tough person he is"
Rescue workers eventually set off on foot to reach the 34-year-old. "There are no paths, no roads. The location is several miles from the nearest road," fire chief Mark Bingham told The Santa Cruz Sentinel, explaining the difficulties during the operation. "He was mostly disoriented and lost and living off the land, which is pretty impressive and shows what a tough person he is," Bingham paid tribute to the hiker.

"Hiked enough for the rest of the year"
"Every day I would go up one canyon and down another canyon to the next waterfall, sit down and drink water from my boot," McClish said of his routine during his odyssey. He won't be going on another hiking trip any time soon, he noted after his rescue: "I've probably hiked enough for the rest of the year."