Safe & FoundSafe & Found

Millions of people go hiking in the National Parks, forests, and wilderness areas of the US and Canada every year. And while most come back with happy memories and photos of the beautiful scenery, others return home with stories of survival. We analyzed over 100 news reports to discover how people get lost in the wild, and the lengths they go to in order to come back alive.

One mistake people make is thinking nothing can go wrong.

George Brown Missing for two days in Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana.

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Getting lost

What were the most common reasons people got lost?

Wandered off trail
41%
Bad weather
17%
Fell off trail
16%
Got separated from groupGot separated
8%
Injury
7%
Darkness
6%
Loss or failure of equipmentEquipment fail/loss
5%
Other
1%

In the stories we looked at, survival often hinges on the ability to find a combination of four basic things: warmth, shelter, food and water. But in the wild, faced with extreme conditions, injury, or unfamiliar surroundings, these basics can be hard or impossible to find. So what tactics did people use to survive?

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How to survive

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Warmth

If it wasn’t for Roxy...

Annette Poitras, aged 56, was injured while dog-walking on Eagle Mountain in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Having lost her phone as she fell, she was forced to stay out for three days, enduring torrential rain with her three dogs. She credits her survival to Chloe the collie and Bubba the pug mix, who took turns guarding her and finding food, but mostly boxer Roxy, who curled up next to her at night, keeping her warm. She was rescued after Roxy’s barking alerted searchers to their location.

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The most mentioned sources of warmth

Clothes
12%
Fire
10%
Camping gear
10%
Body heat of fellow hikers (inc. dogs)Body heat
5%
Covering self
4%
Exercise
4%
Digging in
3%

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Shelter

The mouth of the cave was still letting a lot of wind in, so I got more pine branches and put them partially over the opening and sealed it with wet snow...

Alan Austin, aged 45, survived two nights in the backcountry of Squaw Valley ski resort in California. When a blizzard left him in a disorientating white out, he skied out of bounds and became lost as darkness closed in. Remembering advice he’d learned as a Boy Scout and seen on TV, he dug a six foot deep cave using his hands and a ski pole, lining it with pine branches for insulation. He spent two nights in the cave on the side of the mountain, before stomping a path through deep snow into a nearby meadow, where he was spotted by a helicopter and rescued.

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The most common types of shelter

Camping gear
11%
Discovered caves and sheltersCaves & shelters
9%
Under trees
8%
Self-made caves and sheltersMade caves & shelters
8%
In the rocks
7%
Inside fallen treesFallen trees
4%
In the ground
3%

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Water

I was crawling through this dense jungle, licking drops of water off the leaves, and I put my hand on a tree and found something. It felt spongy. And that ended up saving my life.

Gilbert Dewey Gaedcke, aged 41, spent five days lost on a lava field on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. After a day and a half without water or shade, he started to become disorientated in the heat. He eventually found water by squeezing moisture from moss, deciding that it would be better to risk infection rather than die from dehydration. It paid off. He was eventually rescued after a teenager on a helicopter tour saw his mirror reflecting the sun from the air.

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The most commonly found water source

Body of water (e.g. lake, stream, creek)Body of water
24%
Snow, rain or puddles
16%
Rationed own water
13%
Had no water
9%
Own urine
6%
Licked leaves/moss/grassLeaves/moss/grass
2%

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Food

I ended up eating everything that would let me catch it: two crickets, five or six moths, eight or ten large ants, and three or four water bugs.

Greg Hein, aged 33, survived seven days in Kings Canyon National Park. After breaking his leg when a boulder slipped and crashed onto him, smashing his tibia, he decided to dump his gear and remaining food so he could move to safer ground. He crawled and crab-walked for over 1.6 miles over the next five days, eating whatever insects he could find along the way to sustain him. Eventually, he reached a sheltered spot where a rescue helicopter noticed his yellow bivy sack and picked him up.

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The most common sources of food

Rationed own supplies
35%
Had no food
17%
Berries and fruit
9%
Plants
9%
Insects
3%
Foraging and huntingForaging & hunting
3%

Back to safety

One of the biggest decisions most survivors had to make was whether to try and find their own way to safety, or stay put and wait to be rescued. So out of the stories we looked at, which option did most people choose?

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Move or stay put?

The main thing was just keep my calm, keep my cool, just keep moving. It's just instinct, I guess, that came out.

Austin Bohanan, aged 18, survived for 11 days in the Smoky Mountains National Park after getting separated from his stepfather on a hike. After spending the night on a ridge, he decided to keep walking. He followed a stream to fresh water, which eventually led him down the mountain, all the way to a creek. There, he saw a boat carrying a man and his daughter, who brought him to safety.

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What did most people do?

65% kept moving
35% stayed put

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Getting out alive

My rescuers said that the orange poncho saved me

Michael Hays, aged 41, was rescued three days after wandering off the trail and shattering his kneecap in Baxter State Park, Maine. After taping up his knee, he based himself near a stream, before realising that he should head up to higher ground for a better chance of being spotted. After three days, he heard a helicopter overhead. He struggled into a clearing in the woods and waved his orange poncho in the air, alerting the rescuers, who lifted him to safety.

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How did most people get back to safety?

77% rescued
23% found way out

What you should do

Real survival is about good decision-making and mitigating risks. We asked a search and rescue expert what you should do to prepare and survive.

Andrew Herrington - transparent overlay

Andrew Herrington

of BigPig Outdoors is a survival instructor, search and rescue team leader and Wildlife Ranger in the Smokies. His diverse outdoor professional experience, spanning over 20 years, includes backcountry law enforcement, wildland firefighting, wilderness medicine and raft guiding.

The number one mistake I see is lack of preparation...

Be prepared

  • Carry the Ten Essentials
  • Leave a trip plan and check-in time with two trusted people
  • Study your maps and identify a “bailout” direction in the area you’re exploring
  • Check the weather forecast (including overnight, in case you’re forced to stay out)
  • Always use high quality clothing: Merino or synthetic base layers, mid layers, synthetic or dri-down puffy jackets and Gore-Tex shells
  • Practice lightweight tarp shelter building at home
  • Print off free maps at sartopo.com
  • Download a backup GPS app, like Avenza
  • Practice firemaking and carry the gear (including petroleum-jelly-soaked cotton balls and fatwood sticks)
  • Look into Personal Locator Beacons and Satellite Messengers for cutting edge signalling options

Avoid getting lost

  • If you’re going off-trail, work out how to reach a linear trail, road or creek (aka a bailout direction) before you leave
  • Identify features on the ground and find them on the map as you go
  • If you’re unsure of your location, start breaking branches in the direction you’re traveling and skin a six inch cut on a sapling with your knife. The inner bark shows white and is easy to follow

Warmth

  • Avoid sweating into your clothes in cold weather
  • Stay cool when you’re active and warm at rest by adjusting your layers
  • Monitor for hypothermia signals in the group
  • Warm up with sugary foods, exercise, or a big fire

Shelter

  • Use your tarp, bivy pad, puffy jacket and quilt to create a warm, cozy shelter
  • Keep a 55 gallon trash bag in your pocket in case you are separated from your pack
  • If you have no other option, build a lean-to shelter (use a framework of sticks covered with leaf litter, evergreen branches, or bark - whichever is most available) and heat it with a six foot long fire in front of the shelter
  • Build a bed out of leaves, grass, or pine needles at least eight inches thick

Water

  • Use a lightweight filter, chlorine dioxide tablets, or a steel canteen to boil and purify water
  • In the worst-case scenario, just drink the water - statistically, in the US you will be rescued within 24 hours, so death from dehydration is a bigger risk than infection

Food

  • Pack high-calorie foods like almond butter and coconut oil packs
  • If you have no food, don’t try to hunt, trap, or forage - it just exposes you to potential injury and burns precious calories
  • Instead, fast: the average person has over 30 days of calories to survive on
  • Prioritize building a camp, staying warm, and keeping hydrated

Move or stay put?

  • If you left a trip plan and someone knows you’re missing, or if you’re stranded in a vehicle or on a trail, old road, or creek - stay where you are
  • Consider “self-rescue” if you didn’t tell anybody where you were going, and have no way to signal
  • Navigate to an open area, high ground for cell signal, or your “bailout” direction, marking your trail as you go

Getting rescued

  • Use brightly colored tarps and clothing
  • Call 911 on your cell phone, even if you don’t have service. By law, any tower that you can connect with will transmit that call
  • Use signal mirrors or three blasts on your whistle to attract attention
  • Add green plants to your fire to create a smoke signal
  • If you hear a rescue plane or helicopter, movement and contrast are the key to being seen

Explore the data

See the full details of all 103 survival stories below.

# days lost
# days lost
Name
Name
Age
Age
Location
Location
Survival tactic
Survival tactic
Sources
90
Marco Lavoie
44
Matagami lake, Quebec, Canada
Age: 44
Survival Tactic: Ate his dog (who helped him fight off a bear) after three days, and hunting and fishing
Sources: 1
16
David Vetterlein
50
Siskiyou National Forest, Washington, USA
Age: 50
Survival Tactic: Rationed supplies of 12 cornmeal muffins and salmon jerky
Sources: 1
11
Austin Bohanan
18
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, USA
Age: 18
Survival Tactic: Prayed every day, stayed positive, and kept moving
Sources: 1
10
Frank Wolsko
57
Maggie Lakes, California, USA
Age: 57
Survival Tactic: Rationed his provisions
Sources: 12
10
Michael St. Laurent
45
Grouse Mountain, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 45
Survival Tactic: Sheltered under a tarp and drank rain water
Sources: 1
9
George Joachim
46
Jasper National Park , British Columbia, Canada
Age: 46
Survival Tactic: Did callisthenics in his sleeping bag to keep warm, rationed his food at 100 calories per day, and kept going through the snow
Sources: 1
9
Jason Rasmussen
29
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnessota, USA
Age: 29
Survival Tactic: Ate lots of snow, kept improving his shelter, and thought of his favourite foods (Japanese and Indian)
Sources: 1
9
Donn Fendler
12
Kathadin, Maine, USA
Age: 12
Survival Tactic: Found an abandoned cabin, used a potato sack as a blanket, and ate whatever he could find
Sources: 1
9
Ann Rodgers
72
White Mountains, Arizona, USA
Age: 72
Survival Tactic: Drank creek water, ate berries and other food found in the forest
Sources: 1
9
Miyuki Harwood
62
Sierra Nevada, Nevada, USA
Age: 62
Survival Tactic: Used a water filter to drink from a creek
Sources: 1
8
Enid Dice
62
Kinosaskaw Lake, Saskatchewan , Canada
Age: 62
Survival Tactic: Didn't move, waited for help, set up big fire, and laid out a bright fabric flag
Sources: 1
7
David Ura
63
Bigfoot Trail, California, USA
Age: 63
Survival Tactic: Ate fruit and drank water
Sources: 1
7
Rick Moynan
59
Keremeos, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 59
Survival Tactic: Constructed a makeshift shelter, rationed two oranges, three cookies, nine Tic Tacs and two Werther's Originals, and stayed close to water
Sources: 12
7
Benjamin Still
35
Knik Glacier, Alaska, USA
Age: 35
Survival Tactic: Dug a hole in the snow to set up their tent, drank one cup of water a day
Sources: 1
7
Eric LeMarque
35
Mammoth Mountain, California, USA
Age: 35
Survival Tactic: Chewed on pine seeds and bark, and ate parts of his own flesh
Sources: 1
6
Lon McAdam
56
Superstition Wilderness, Arizona, USA
Age: 56
Survival Tactic: Had enough food, set up a large blue tarp and reflected light with mirror to signal to rescuers
Sources: 1
6
Mary Owen
23
Mt Hood, Oregon, USA
Age: 23
Survival Tactic: Built a snow cave for protection, sustained herself with snacks and built fires fueled by Nutri-Grain wrappers
Sources: 1
6
Mary Hyde Wingfield
33
North Cascades National Park , Washington, USA
Age: 33
Survival Tactic: Ate berries and drank stream water, kept moving and left notes for potential rescuers to follow
Sources: 1
6
Debra Collins
58
Santa Cruz Mountains, California, USA
Age: 58
Survival Tactic: Had warm clothes, drank from a creek using a plastic bag for a cup
Sources: 1
6
Sajean Geer
71
Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Age: 71
Survival Tactic: Drank from a creek, ate bugs and pine needles
Sources: 1
6
Erin Andrews-Sharer
22
Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA
Age: 22
Survival Tactic: Route was along the river, they were well-prepared, rationed their food supplies, and kept faith in God
Sources: 1
6
David Cicotello
57
No Mans Canyon, Utah, USA
Age: 57
Survival Tactic: Rationed his food: a turkey sandwich, an energy bar, an orange, and a bag of cashews; drank a liter of tea with half a lemon,15 ounces of water
Sources: 1
6
Gregg Hein
33
Kings Canyon National Park., California, USA
Age: 33
Survival Tactic: Drank melted snow, ate crickets, ants, waterbugs and moths
Sources: 12
6
Madeline Connelly
23
Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Age: 23
Survival Tactic: Drank from streams and slept among dense trees
Sources: 1
6
Alan Chow
36
Yosemite, California, USA
Age: 36
Survival Tactic: Kept close to a water source, conserved energy, rationed out food supplies, tried to keep warm, and found a camping spot visible from the air
Sources: 12
6
Matthew Matheny
40
Ant Canyon, Washington, USA
Age: 40
Survival Tactic: Ate huckleberries and bees
Sources: 12
5
Bryan Skilinski
40
The Great Sand Dunes Park, Colorado, USA
Age: 40
Survival Tactic: Kept walking despite freezing temperatures
Sources: 12
5
Neal Peckens
32
Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Age: 32
Survival Tactic: Stopped by a lake for water, rationed food, set up a fire, used a space blanket to reflect sunlight during day and keep warm at night
Sources: 12
5
Derek Mamoyac
27
Mount Adams, Washington, USA
Age: 27
Survival Tactic: Crawled through the cold nights and ate insects
Sources: 1
5
Gilbert Dewey Gaedcke
41
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, USA
Age: 41
Survival Tactic: Licked drops of water off the leaves and squeezed moss
Sources: 1
5
Jeff Jamison
50
South Colony Lakes, Colorado, USA
Age: 50
Survival Tactic: Drank from puddles and sheltered behind rocks
Sources: 1
5
Victoria Grover
59
Sand Creek, Utah, USA
Age: 59
Survival Tactic: Found a stream for water and wrapped a poncho around her head to capture warmth of breath
Sources: 1
5
Reese McMichael
18
Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA
Age: 18
Survival Tactic: Rationed granola bars and drank from puddles
Sources: 1
5
Ross Mason
44
Gila Wilderness, New Mexico, USA
Age: 44
Survival Tactic: Stumbled upon a cabin and made signals for rescue helicopters to notice
Sources: 1
5
Paul Hanks
54
Joshua Tree, California, USA
Age: 54
Survival Tactic: Kept on crawling due to broken pelvis, covered himself in dirt to stay warm, ate cactus, drank his own urine
Sources: 1
5
Aron Ralston
27
Blue John Canyon, Utah, USA
Age: 27
Survival Tactic: Drank his own urine, amputated his forearm, rationed two burritos and 350ml of water over 5 days.
Sources: 1
5
Nathan Mitchell
34
Mount Hood, Oregon, USA
Age: 34
Survival Tactic: Drank water from a creek and stayed put
Sources: 12
4
David Snider
54
Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Age: 54
Survival Tactic: Forced himself to keep going, rationed his food
Sources: 1
4
David Yoder
41
Big Bear, California, USA
Age: 41
Survival Tactic: Spooned his companions to keep warm, followed the water line, had supplies
Sources: 12
4
Daniel Samuelsen
33
Parleys Canyon, Utah, USA
Age: 33
Survival Tactic: Had no food or water. Made a splint out of a piece of wood for his broken leg and crawled out of the tunnel
Sources: 1
4
Marvin Matsumoto
59
Joshua Tree, California, USA
Age: 59
Survival Tactic: Burrowed in the sand to try to stay warm during chilly nights, waved t-shirt to signal to rescuers
Sources: 1
4
Tim Bailey
36
Olympic National Park, Washington, USA
Age: 36
Survival Tactic: Made a splint for his ankle and built a big fire with lots of smoke, fired a gun to attract attention
Sources: 1
4
Amos Richards
64
Blue John Canyon, Utah, USA
Age: 64
Survival Tactic: Collected rainwater, rationed protein bars, crawled to find help
Sources: 1
4
Gerald Muskiewicz
30
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Age: 30
Survival Tactic: Took off his wet clothes to avoid hypothermia, crawled 300 yards to find help, covered himself with grass
Sources: 1
4
Kim Haines
40
Mount Teneriffe, Washington, USA
Age: 40
Survival Tactic: Drank water from streams and ate wild berries, had a jacket and a space blanket to stay warm
Sources: 1
4
Thomas James Reiker
25
Everglades, Florida, USA
Age: 25
Survival Tactic: Ate beef jerky and Ramen noodles cooked in boiled swamp water, kept walking in knee-deep snow
Sources: 1
4
Ronald Hutter
66
Mount Lemmon, Arizona, USA
Age: 66
Survival Tactic: Ate cacti, drank his own urine, remained positive
Sources: 1
4
John Sain
50
McCall, Idaho, USA
Age: 50
Survival Tactic: Used sticks and ripped cloth to build a makeshift splint, crawled for four days; had a survival kit, a little food and a water purifier
Sources: 1
4
Marcelo Santos
30
Malibu Creek State Park, California, USA
Age: 30
Survival Tactic: Tried to insulate however he could, slept in caves and thick brush
Sources: 12
4
Claire Nelson
35
Joshua Tree, California, USA
Age: 35
Survival Tactic: Took aspirin for the pain, used a stick and plastic bag to create a curtain from the sun, drank own urine, waved stick to attract attention
Sources: 12
4
Justin Clark
32
Wahiawa, Hawaii, USA
Age: 32
Survival Tactic: Ate fern shoots and berries, drank stream water
Sources: 12
3
Cody Michael
23
Loch Leven Trail, California, USA
Age: 23
Survival Tactic: Kept walking, prayed, set up camp, wrote "help" on a rock with duct tape
Sources: 12
3
Jordan Zeman
25
Kings Canyon National Park, California, USA
Age: 25
Survival Tactic: Rationed three protein bars, lit a fire to attract attention
Sources: 1
3
Marty Holloway
56
Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA
Age: 56
Survival Tactic: Slept inside a hollowed-out log and underneath brush to stay out of the elements
Sources: 1
3
Jordan Nicurity
26
Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 26
Survival Tactic: Kept crawling and collected rainwater to drink
Sources: 1
3
Pamela Salant
28
Mount Hood, Oregon, USA
Age: 28
Survival Tactic: Ate berries and drank from a creek
Sources: 1
3
Jeannine Landrenaux
22
Mount Saint Jacinto, California, USA
Age: 22
Survival Tactic: Stayed near a waterfall to get water, ate leaves and roots, made a blanket out of leaves
Sources: 12
3
Michael Hays
41
Baxter State Park, Maine, USA
Age: 41
Survival Tactic: Stayed close to a stream, put all his clothes on for warmth, and waved bright orange poncho to get spotted
Sources: 1
3
Louise Baxter
52
Jumbo Pass, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 52
Survival Tactic: Was dressed for the conditions
Sources: 1
3
Alec Winters
21
Buntzen Lake, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 21
Survival Tactic: Was well prepared with full camping gear and food, and left information with family about where he was going
Sources: 1
3
Spencer Hunt
20
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 20
Survival Tactic: Drank creek water, hunkered down in a cave, kept walking
Sources: 1
3
Cole Taylor
19
Mount Olympus, Utah, USA
Age: 19
Survival Tactic: Ate leaves and snow, drank his own urine
Sources: 1
3
Aaron Clark
20
Rio Linda, California, USA
Age: 20
Survival Tactic: Used his survival skills
Sources: 1
3
Lukas Cavar
19
Sullivan Cave, Indiana, USA
Age: 19
Survival Tactic: Collected moisture in energy bar wrappers, collected rainfall and puddled cave water. Licked the cave’s damp walls to quench his thirst
Sources: 1
3
Melikai Hesse
23
San Juan Mountains, Colorado, USA
Age: 23
Survival Tactic: Found a flat place and try to keep himself awake through the night, moved occasionally to prevent hypothermia
Sources: 12
3
Jason Knight
35
Sandthrax Canyon, Utah, USA
Age: 35
Survival Tactic: Rationed a granola bar and some water
Sources: 1
3
Unknown
22
Bear Lake, Oregon, USA
Age: 22
Survival Tactic: Ate salmonberries, huckleberries and the guts of a caterpillar, and piled moss over body to stay warm
Sources: 1
3
Ed Rosenthal
68
Joshua Tree, California, USA
Age: 68
Survival Tactic: Crawled under trees for relief and shade, tried sucking pebbles, made water out of cacti and drank his own urine
Sources: 1
3
Roger Dannen
75
Palm Springs Trail, California, USA
Age: 75
Survival Tactic: Kept walking towards where he saw the flickering of lights, ran out of food and water
Sources: 1
3
Paula Reuter
21
Snoqualmie Pass, Washington, USA
Age: 21
Survival Tactic: Ate mushrooms and bark, reserved beef jerky for her two dogs, who also ate frogs and rabbits
Sources: 12
3
Shuei Kato
36
Missouri Mountain, Colorado, USA
Age: 36
Survival Tactic: Followed a stream, rationed food, used pine branches for bedding and cover, and ate a piece of chocolate each hour to stay awake and avoid freezing to death
Sources: 12
3
John Lyon
78
Baxter State Park, Maine, USA
Age: 78
Survival Tactic: Rationed three granola bars, found plenty of water around to drink
Sources: 1
2
Lisa Mathiasen
77
Los Padres National Forest, California, USA
Age: 77
Survival Tactic: Took shelter in a ravine
Sources: 1
2
Gerald Derrickson
38
South Sister Trail, Oregon, USA
Age: 38
Survival Tactic: Kept walking, found a creek with water, slept with a t-shirt over his face for warmth
Sources: 1
2
Randy Willett
53
Pemigewasset Wilderness, New Hampshire, USA
Age: 53
Survival Tactic: Was able to call 911, flashed a red light to signal to rescuers
Sources: 1
2
Bethany Haury
56
Woodside, California, USA
Age: 56
Survival Tactic: Dog kept her warm through cold nights
Sources: 1
2
Charity Stevens
36
Mount Shasta, California, USA
Age: 36
Survival Tactic: Hardly ate, drank melted snow
Sources: 12
2
Jessica Burke
40
Garrard County, Kentucky, USA
Age: 40
Survival Tactic: Sheltered in deer stands, found water, and kept walking through the brush
Sources: 1
2
Edilberto Lopez
44
Big Bend, Texas, USA
Age: 44
Survival Tactic: Kept moving despite lack of food and water
Sources: 12
2
Jennifer Baird
42
Lac Du Bois Grasslands, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 42
Survival Tactic: Drank marsh water and rain water, built a shelter, kept walking
Sources: 1
2
Jeremy Galton
23
Port Angeles, Washington, USA
Age: 23
Survival Tactic: Dug into the mud at the base of a tree to keep warm
Sources: 1
2
Annette Poitras
56
Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 56
Survival Tactic: Dogs kept her warm, guarded her, and helped find food
Sources: 12
2
Ryan Montoya
23
Pyramid Peak, Colorado, USA
Age: 23
Survival Tactic: Made a cave in snow, kept going, stayed near water
Sources: 1
2
Suzanne Turell
33
Longs Peak, Colorado, USA
Age: 33
Survival Tactic: Text their location to family and waited out the storm
Sources: 12
2
Karen Talbot
69
Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 69
Survival Tactic: Hunkered down by trees
Sources: 1
2
Alan Austin
45
Squaw Valley, California, USA
Age: 45
Survival Tactic: Dug a snow cave, did exercises, stayed put, and drank snow
Sources: 12
2
Unknown
23
Angeles National Forest, California, USA
Age: 23
Survival Tactic: Yelled so loudly, her voice carried for half a mile
Sources: 12
2
John Waddell
62
Aguila, Arizona, USA
Age: 62
Survival Tactic: Survived without food and water, fought off rattlesnakes
Sources: 1
2
George Brown
68
Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana, USA
Age: 68
Survival Tactic: Breathed into his backpack to harvest warm air and kept walking despite a fracture
Sources: 12
2
Madison Popolizio
19
Algonquin Peak, New York, USA
Age: 19
Survival Tactic: Boyfriend emptied his supply bag to keep her feet warm
Sources: 12
2
Lacy Murphy
24
Mount Rainier, Washington, USA
Age: 24
Survival Tactic: Slept inside a tree trunk, licked leaves and moss for moisture
Sources: 1
2
Tommy Hendricks
19
Cross Colouir, Colorado, USA
Age: 19
Survival Tactic: Took off shoes and socks and put feet in each other’s armpits, massaged toes to keep the feeling in them; spooned on top of broken branches
Sources: 1
2
John Carlos Mann
29
Birds Creek, Alaska, USA
Age: 29
Survival Tactic: Walked wrapped in an emergency blanket, drank from the river, slept on roots of trees
Sources: 12
1
Joel Gerrard
34
Kimball Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada
Age: 34
Survival Tactic: Ate berries and petals from lilies
Sources: 1
1
Dylan Sanchez
22
Aina Haina , Hawaii, USA
Age: 22
Survival Tactic: Made a fire and waved a blue tarp at the passing rescue helicopter
Sources: 1
1
Cody Clawson
13
Yellowstone, Wyoming, USA
Age: 13
Survival Tactic: Found a cave for shelter, curled in to a ball and prayed to be rescued
Sources: 1
1
Diane Salmon
63
Kings Canyon National Park, California, USA
Age: 63
Survival Tactic: Came prepared with warm clothes and a down jacket
Sources: 1
1
Akasha Sage
18
Lions Bay, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 18
Survival Tactic: Sheltered from the rain in a cave
Sources: 1
1
Walter Wadkins
33
Badlands, North Dakota, USA
Age: 33
Survival Tactic: Found shelter in a cave, started a small fire, cried for help every 15 minutes
Sources: 1
1
Unknown
38
Adirondack High Peaks, New York, USA
Age: 38
Survival Tactic: Had warm clothes, food, and water
Sources: 12
1
Marie-Pier Leduc
21
Mount Marcy, New York, USA
Age: 21
Survival Tactic: Cut branches and made a strong fire to keep warm at night
Sources: 1
1
Marcus Mazzaferri
25
Yosemite, California, USA
Age: 25
Survival Tactic: Exercised every 20 minutes, followed deer tracks to get back to the trail
Sources: 1
0.5
Michael Buckingham
37
Crown Mountain, British Columbia, Canada
Age: 37
Survival Tactic: Laid out a bright orange t-shirt to attract attention
Sources: 1

103 survival stories were sourced from online newspaper reports about hikers who went missing and were subsequently found or rescued from national parks, wilderness areas and forests across the US and Canada. Data was collected between 15th-17th December 2018.

  • Percentages shown reflect the share of stories, where the information on how the survivors found warmth, shelter, food, and water was disclosed.
  • In cases where percentages don’t add up to 100%, the remaining share of stories didn’t mention the relevant details.
  • Where entries contained multiple options, totals were grouped together.
  • For "Rescued vs Found way out", the latter captures all cases where the lost hiker(s) found people, flagged down trucks, or physically reached civilization in one way or another. This doesn't mean there was no rescue operation underway.
  • For "Kept moving vs Stayed put", in some cases people did both. Data reflects what the survivor spent the most time doing.
  • For "Food" and "Water, percentages refer to cases where tactics were mentioned. "Had no water" or "Had no food" captures cases where it was stated that the person had no water or food for all/most of the time they were lost.
  • "Rationed food" or "Rationed water" includes cases where the hiker(s) had "enough" water, as well as cases where their supplies were scarce.
  • Expert survival advice was provided by Andrew Herrington of Team BUSAR and BigPigOutdoors.com.
Smoky Mountains
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