John Utsey couldn’t be more grateful that he and his two children decided to go hiking one Saturday in August.
While strolling along a trail in New Mexico’s Santa Fe National Forest, the trio heard someone calling out. About 600 yards away, they found a man lying on the ground. He had spent 14 days waiting for help to arrive – and it finally had!
Two weeks earlier, the man, who suffers from chronic back pain, injured his back in the forest. Unable to stand or walk, he had to wait and hope passing hikers would find him. As more days passed, he survived by filling a filtering water bottle from a nearby stream.
When John found him, it was obvious he wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer.
After giving him all their food and water, John and his kids rushed back to the trailhead. The moment they had reception, John called 911, and when firefighters from the Santa Fe Fire Department arrived, he gave them the man’s GPS location.
The men scoured the trail for eight hours, but despite their best efforts, they couldn’t find the missing hiker. John later heard they’d called off the search and took it upon himself to save the man’s life.
The next morning, he hiked 3 miles back up the trail and found the hiker in the exact same spot. He called 911 again, only this time, when the rescuers arrived, he led them straight to the stranger.
Because the man was in such bad shape, they built a fire to raise his body temperature before they tried to move him.
“Never had we found somebody who had been out for that long,” Capt. Nathan Garcia told CBS News. “It’s hard to say. The human body can do some amazing things sometimes, but I don’t think he had very much left in him. He seemed kind of at the end when we did actually encounter him.”
Two search and rescue teams carried the man back down the trail. After nine long hours, he was finally out of the woods!
Now, he’s getting the best care possible at a local hospital, where he can rest easy and hopefully make a full recovery.
We’re so glad John and his kids were in the right place at the right time! They, along with the firefighters, are the reason this man is still alive today.
Learn more about the rescue in the video below, and share this story to thank these heroes.
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