A man who planned to spend a day hunting in California's Sierra National Forest ended up spending nearly three weeks lost and struggling to survive. Ron Dailey, 65, of Selma, set out for the solo trip on Oct. 13. Family members said the experienced outdoorsman had planned to hunt near Dinkey Creek, east of Shaver Lake, and was expected home that night. But days and then weeks passed, bringing a winter storm and subfreezing temperatures. The search for Dailey drew in hundreds of volunteers from multiple counties, with his family growing especially worried due to Dailey's underlying health issues, KTLA reports.
It turns out Dailey had become lost at some 10,000 feet of elevation on the Swamp Lake Trail. Despite the harsh conditions, he managed to survive by taking shelter in his 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup truck, which broke down well into an area typically reached only by off-road vehicles. He said he subsisted on about two weeks' worth of food he thankfully brought with him before deciding he had no choice but to try to walk in search of help. "You either walk out or you're going to sit here and die," he recalled thinking.
The walk included several falls and Dailey losing his cellphone, reports the Guardian. Finally, a group of hunters found him on the trail on Saturday. Just a day later, an off-roading club found his damaged truck, with a broken back window and the front jacked up. Dailey had also removed the passenger seat to allow him to sleep inside. "We were in disbelief that a stock truck could make it in that far," a member of the club told KTLA. Dailey told CBS Los Angeles he knew he was in trouble that first night, when two feet of snow fell on his truck, but that his faith sustained him. "It was me and God every night," he said. Of his rescue, he added, "I've never been so happy in my life to see people."
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