California hunter survives 20 day ordeal after becoming lost in Sierra wilderness as Selma man recalls how he made it out alive as search crews desperately looked for him.
A hunter feared dead or having met a terrible demise was found alive after going missing for 20 days in the Sierra, California wilderness.
Ron Dailey, 65, of Selma, California was supposed to be gone only for the day as he went off hunting in the Sierra National Forest, only to spark off a massive search mission when he didn’t return home last month.
What was suppose to be a one day hunting trip becomes 20 day ordeal for survival
Miraculously the missing man was found near Swamp Lake Trail on Saturday according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. Bringing at last an end to the hunter’s nightmare and fears that he would not make it out alive.
Speaking to reporters, Dailey recalled setting off for the Swamp Lake Trail on October 13th. Before he knew it, the hunter took a wrong turn and found himself in uncharted territory according to ABC News.
‘I went over this thing, and it was scraping bottom. I looked up the tree in front of it, it said Diamond Road, jeep road. That means you’d better have a rock crawler. I don’t have a rock crawler,’ recalled Dailey.
He continued down the trail. Eventually, he realized his truck was destroyed, so he used it as shelter. Dailey had food for about two weeks.
After several days passing, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet, Dailey decided to make a move.
‘You either try to walk out or you’re going to sit here and die,’ said Dailey.
Fresno hunter’s faith in God unshaken during ordeal
The Selma man said he fell a couple of times going downhill, and when he was at the bottom of a rocky hill, he noticed he lost his phone.
Weeks passed and Dailey said after several miles of walking and lots of praying. Relief came in the form of pair of headlights shining through the woods as the malnourished man scrambled to flag down the driver.
‘I raised my hand up to the car with the headlights on … and I go, ‘Oh god, thank you, Lord.’’
He had survived his ordeal.
A group of hunters had come across the emaciated man who had fought and persevered to stay alive. At the time of his rescue, Daily hadn’t eaten in almost a week.
Dailey who was found roughly 20 miles away from his original hunting site after an initial hospital observation was expected to be released to his family who called their father and husband’s recovery nothing short of a miracle.
