Ron Dailey, who got lost on hunting trip in Sierra national forest, resolved to walk to safety after his food ran out
A hunter who spent nearly three weeks lost in the snowy California wilderness says he managed to get rescued after discerning “you either try to walk out or you’re going to sit here and die”.
The remarkable story of survival centers on Ron Dailey, whom authorities say went missing in the Sierra national forest in Fresno county after taking a solo hunting trip there on 13 October.
Investigators say Dailey, a resident of the California city of Selma, intended to return home that evening. But, in comments reported by KTLA, KFSN and CBS Los Angeles, he would later recall losing his bearings in his truck and ending up in a spot where off-road vehicles are needed to navigate.
Dailey’s pickup truck then broke down while he was at an elevation of more than 10,000ft, stranding him there with what he estimated to be about two weeks’ worth of food and water. Furthermore, an intense snowstorm hit the area on the first night he became lost, prompting Dailey to conclude: “Oh man – I’m in trouble.”
