US veteran lost in Arizona’s wilderness for four days rescued by his own son | Arizona
A Vietnam war veteran says he’s a living “miracle” after getting lost in the Arizona wilderness for four days with few valuable supplies and eventually being rescued by his own son.
“I’ve never felt so loved,” Mark Young said in an interview It was published She described the moment she realized on Phoenix’s KNXV news channel that it was her son who saved her from her predicament. “My gratitude is indescribable.”
Young, 76, spoke about his ordeal after gaining widespread attention in corners of the internet dedicated to finding stories of human perseverance. As the sheriff’s office in Yavapai County, Arizona reportedOn April 16, he had driven a rental car deep into the rugged local countryside for a solo hiking and camping trip ahead of a wedding he planned to attend.
Young told KNXV on Thursday that he became disoriented when he lost the global positioning system, or GPS, signal. His loved ones later realized his day trip had gone awry when Young didn’t show up for dinner the next evening in the Yavapai community in the Verde Valley, according to the sheriff’s office. His family reported him missing, and search teams began combing the area where Young had gone hiking to try and track him down.
Searchers found Young’s car on a remote road on the morning of April 18. Arizona news outlet AZFamily said he wasn’t there and many of his belongings, such as his sleeping bag, were left in the vehicle. reportedHe quotes Young’s relatives.
Young relied on his survival training experience while fighting for the U.S. military in the Vietnam War; The otherwise experienced hiker then had a compass, several canteens, water purification pills and a lighter. said KPNX news station.
He spent the next days in whatever shade he could find, including under a cedar tree, keeping as cool as possible, he told KPNX. His challenges included dealing with dehydration, crossing paths with and killing a rattlesnake, and unsuccessfully trying to start a campfire.
Meanwhile, searchers continued to search for him as all seven of his children had reportedly flown in from out of town to join the effort. The sheriff’s office said the crew encountered a rattlesnake as well as a mountain lion, a black bear and difficult terrain. Searchers heard “distant, faint cries for help” on April 20, but winds and sharp canyon terrain prevented them from pinpointing exactly where the sound was, the agency said.
Young himself heard what he initially believed to be recreational hikers that day. Soon a voice yelled “Dad” at him, and Young realized it was his own son, Josh, and eventually told KNXV.
After doing “double takes” to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him, the two “hugged and cried,” Young said.
The Yavapai sheriff’s office said Josh used his satellite cell phone to send an “incredible text message” to callers letting them know he had found his father: about six miles from where the rental car was seen.
A helicopter from the sheriff’s office in nearby Maricopa County was circling the area at the time. The Yavapai sheriff’s office said the helicopter immediately responded, lifted Young from the canyon floor and took him to a hospital near Phoenix.
Lydia Young told AZFamily that her father was dehydrated and suffered some physical injuries, but was otherwise fine. His good condition, both physical and mental, probably enabled him to survive; Young’s other daughter, Emily, recommended To the Arizona Republic newspaper.
A statement attributed to Josh and released by the Yavapai sheriff’s office thanked search crews for not giving up on his father. “My father’s life was worth saving,” the statement said. “And your team showed it.”
Young echoed that sentiment in an interview with KNXV on Wednesday night while driving from Phoenix to the Verde Valley region of Yavapai.
“You’re looking at a miracle,” said Young, a former Arizona resident who now lives on the U.S. east coast.
Addressing his rescuers, Young added: “Your faith [and] Your hard work will be remembered as long as I live.”
