Miraculous Survival in Big Basin Redwoods State Park
A hiker missing for 10 days in California’s remote mountains has been found alive, despite having no water, being chased by a mountain lion, and not informing anyone of his plans. Lukas McClish, 34, embarked on a three-hour hike in Big Basin Redwoods State Park and was only rescued after search teams heard his cries for help.
McClish, an experienced hiker, set off without informing anyone of his destination, carrying minimal supplies: a flashlight, scissors, and a Leatherman tool. He did not return for a planned lunch on Father’s Day, June 16, prompting his parents to raise the alarm five days after his departure.
Harrowing ordeal
During his ordeal, McClish foraged for food, drinking creek water and eating wild berries, while sleeping on wet leaves. He lost approximately 30 pounds. On the eighth day, he developed hypothermia and slipped while climbing a rock face. For two days, he shouted for help until rangers located him using drones and a dog.
Lessons learned
Reflecting on his experience, McClish told the New York Times: ‘That’s one thing I didn’t take into consideration – when the fire comes through like that and decimates it, it turns into the desert and you’re unable to find your bearings.’
‘I’m an avid backpacker, so for me to go out for a night or two is not out of the norm.’ He faced unexpected challenges. On his first cold night, he failed to start a fire with wet brush and struggled to find a stream for water, resorting to drinking from his boot. He told the WDBJ: ‘So I just kind of hiked. Each day I go up a canyon, down a canyon, to the next waterfall, drank water out of my boot.’
‘I felt comfortable every time I was out there,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t worried about it.’
‘I had a mountain lion that was following me, but it was cool,’ McClish added. ‘It kept its distance.
‘I think it was just somebody watching over me.’
McClish was trailed by a mountain lion but remained unfazed: “It kept its distance. I think it was just somebody watching over me.” By day five, he realized he needed to find a way back to civilization, following the sun toward the ocean.
His family filed a missing person’s report, initiating a massive search involving nearly 300 people. His mother, Diane McClish, said, “Some nights, although I just had to trust God that he was going to be OK – and that was hard to do.”
Rescue and recovery
On Thursday evening, park rangers heard McClish’s screams and located him with the help of a drone and a search dog. He spent the night in a hospital where doctors treated his injuries. Despite the ordeal, McClish plans to continue hiking but admitted, “I did enough hiking for probably the whole rest of the year.”