A 70-year-old hiker survived five days in the Sierra Nevada after he had gone missing on July 19. The hiker, Warren Elliot, had failed to return to his campsite near Rubicon Springs, California, because he took a wrong turn during a hike. The man reunited with his family on Wednesday, July 24. He survived the blistering Sierra Nevada heat by eating berries and drinking water from a creek.
Elliot was working on the Rubicon Trail when he took a walk in an area that he thought was familiar to him. On this walk, he took a wrong turn which sent him away from his campsite and into the wilderness.
50-100 people began searching for Elliot. He was eventually found by a fisherman near hell hole reservoir who sent authorities a text message. Hellhole Reserve is extremely remote and about nine miles as the crow fliesfrom Elliot’s original campsite. It is however likely that the man covered way more ground on his five-day disappearance.
Once Elliot was located, he was airlifted to Homewood Mountain Resort and reunited with his family. The Placer County sheriff’s office released a video showing the man reuniting with his family. Both Elliot’s family and the Search and Rescue officials seemed to be very relieved that the man was returned safely.
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Elliot disappeared on the infamous Rubicon trail. The trail is an old postal road that connects Lake Tahoe with Georgetown, California. The trail is said to be one of the hardest off-road challenges in the world because of the complex and hard obstacles drivers have to face. Off roaders have to pass large rocks and steep inclines to get to the end of the Rubicon Trail. Drivers usually complete the 22 mile long trail in one day.
