A 65-year-old man from Fresno County who had been missing in the snowcapped mountains of the Sierra National Forest for nearly three weeks was found alive, authorities announced earlier this week.
Ron Dailey, a resident of Selma, reportedly departed Oct. 13 on a solo hunting trip with the intention of returning the same evening, KTLA’s sister station KSEE/KGPE reported.
When he failed to return, family contacted the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, telling authorities that the 65-year-old, a seasoned hunter with a vast knowledge of the wilderness, said he was going to the Dinkey Creek area east of Shaver Lake for the outing.
A multi-county search and rescue effort involving hundreds of volunteers was launched despite a winter storm and subfreezing temperatures that had hit the area since his disappearance.
His family was especially concerned since the Dailey, described by his wife as a “really reliable person,” suffers from underlying health conditions, SFGATE reported.
While the sheriff’s office said in a news release that additional details surrounding the circumstances of his survival and rescue would be shared after they interview him, Dailey told a local television station that he got lost on Swamp Lake Trail, suddenly finding himself in an area of the forest where off-road vehicles are needed.
Making matters worse, the 65-year-old’s 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup truck broke down at an elevation of 10,000 feet.
Dailey said he used his pickup for shelter and subsisted on the two weeks’ worth of food he’d had while trying to figure out his exact whereabouts. Eventually, he decided to make a move, saying, “You either walk out or you’re going to sit here and die,” SFGATE reported.
The seasoned hunter also said he suffered multiple falls downhill and lost his phone before a group of hunters found him on Swamp Lake Trail.
A day after his rescue, an off-roading club came across Dailey’s badly damaged truck.
Bryce Anderson, a member of the Hill Hoppers, told KSEE/KGPE that the Dodge Dakota was about six miles into an area typically accessible only by off-road vehicles, adding that the back window was broken out, the front end was on a lift jack and that it appeared Dailey had removed the passenger seat so he could sleep in the cab.
“We were in disbelief that a stock truck could make it in that far,” he said.
The post Hunter, 65, missing in California forest for almost 3 weeks found alive appeared first on KTLA.
