A 73-year-old hiker survived a week on his own in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles, CA after getting separated from his group while hiking to the summit of 8,000-foot Mount Waterman in Angeles National Forest.
- Related: Unprepared Hiker Survives 4-Nights Lost in Snowy Utah Wilderness Dressed in Shorts and T-Shirt
The rescue effort that included more than 70 volunteers from all over California found Eugene Jo, 73, in a canyon and hoisted him to safety, Sgt. Greg Taylor with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. A helicopter crew flew him to a hospital to be examined.
The Montrose Search and Rescue team tweeted that Jo was “walking and speaking” despite not having had eaten in at least five days. He survived by drinking water from a creek. Temperatures have been mild in the mountains. Over the last week the search effort included helicopters, scent dogs and ground crews from San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, Ventura and Riverside counties.
