iStockphoto / Wolterk
A hiker in California who embarked on a 3-hour hike in the Santa Cruz Mountains was reported missing by his family when he failed to show up for Father’s Day dinner and a rescue mission was consequently launched but 34-year-old Lukas McClish would spend 10 days lost in the mountains before he was found.
He lost the trail on what was meant to be a relatively short hike due, according to CNN, the loss of previous natural landmarks that were destroyed in recent wildfires. Lukas McClish was eventually found after 10 days using drones operated by the Cal Fire Santa Cruz Unit after there were reports of someone yelling for help.
With @SantaCruzSO1 drone Lukas McClish, 34, was located in 🌲 between Empire Grade & Big Basin Hwy near Foreman Creek in @sccounty. McClish was reported missing 5 days ago by family. CDCR
and @CAStateParks assisted.
We are grateful he’s home. pic.twitter.com/oSE7GY5wCe— CAL FIRE CZU (@CALFIRECZU) June 21, 2024
How exactly does one survive in the woods for 10 days? In his case, survival was due in large part to staying hydrated. According to ABC7 News, Lukas was drinking about 1 gallon of fresh water a day for each of the 10 days he was lost in the woods.
McClish spoke about his survival, saying “I’m tired and a little sore, I lost my voice. I left with just a pair of pants, and my pair of hiking shoes, and a hat. I had a flashlight, and a pair of folding scissors, like a Leatherman tool. And that was about it.”
He added “I just make sure I drank a gallon of water every day, but then after, getting close to the end of it, my body needed food and some kind of sustenance.”
It is wild that he was missing in the woods from June 11 to June 16 before anyone reported him missing which didn’t happen until he failed to show up for Father’s Day dinner.
He was eventually found in Big Basin State Park in a remote canyon. There are just no roads in that area. It’s wild. Look it up on Google Earth. The whole region is trails and many of those trails are closed. The fact that he was found by drones is amazing.
His survival due to drinking a gallon of water every day is impressive. It is worth noting that you should NEVER drink freshwater in the woods as there is no telling what sorts of microscopic parasites may be lurking in the water.
A LifeStraw is an incredible hiking companion and purifies water in order to make it suitable for drinking. They’re affordable too and make great gifts to any outdoorsman in your life.
As for staying hydrated, this is something almost all of us can be better at. Men are supposed to drink, on average, 3.7 liters of fluid per day (women 2.7 liters) but the best rule of thumb is if you’re thirsty then drink water. Paying attention to your body’s needs is the best way to stay hydrated.