A lost hiker who spent three days of extreme survival with no water or food supplies, somewhere in the wild areas of Arizona, was found in critical condition by a team of rescuers.
His condition was so deteriorated that he was unable to move, at the point when rescue crews found the 58 years old man on Tuesday morning on steep terrain, at about 12 miles west of Payson, a central Arizona town.
Into the wild is no longer a legend, as more and more people are now trying to get away from the asphalt jungle and force their luck to find themselves and their lost thoughts in the wilderness. Nature comes as the best answer in times of uncertainty, depression and chaos, all stuffed in our minds that find it hard to recover themselves in the urban city jungles. Lonesome travels most of the times bring shifts in perspective and fresh views over existence and existential crises mostly.
A lot of ink has been spilled on this subject over the years, with books and movies debating the subject of sabbatical years, lonesome traveling and finding the lost paths of oneself. Whether you read The Dharma Bums, watch Into the Wild or 127 Hours or read motivational texts about the importance of solitude, the best way to find an answer for the painful existential matters is to take the risks and go on a lonely adventure, to push your limits and see where you can go from there.
Sometimes, things don’t go as planned, because nature offers surprises and a lot of unpredictability to take in. We’re not adapted anymore to the harsh conditions of wilderness, thus exposed to travel failures like the one above.
Seemingly, the victim in the Arizona area was released from a Payson hospital on Wednesday, when he hit the road and lost himself in the barren fields of Arizona. Luckily, the victim has survived after three days with no water and food, almost lifelessly waiting for someone to come to the rescue.
A Flagstaff based Department of Public Safety helicopter luckily spotted the man, after 45 minutes of search. Authorities declared that the victim was most probably looking for a water source at the bottom of the canyon where he was found.
The man was taken to a hospital and now seems to be stable. This is a perfect example revealing how unprepared for life’s unexpected situations we are and nature is the best in showing us just that.
Seemingly, the man started hiking two weeks ago from Roosevelt Lake, with a plan to travel for 10 days along the Arizona trail. Authorities were able to find him as his wife alarmed the local forces when announced that his husband was running out of supplies. When she didn’t hear from him, she instantly called 911 and the police came to the rescue.
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Bill Fair says
Two Points: 1: Anyone who hikes Arizona without adequate supplies is foolhardy or just plain stupid.
2: Mr. Nielsen: Your writing is some of the most difficult reading I have come across in many years.