A hiker lost in the California wilderness was rescued after two weeks — and he claims he survived by slowly consuming only half a jar of salsa.
ABC 7 reported that the stranded hiker, whose name is Eric, was discovered on Nov. 25 by a couple on a camping trip in the area between Big Bear Lake and Angelus Oaks in Southern California.
Allison Scott and her boyfriend, who remains unnamed, discovered Eric after they heard someone yelling for help when a low-flying plane passed overhead. The couple said they found Eric trying to signal his location with a water bottle on a stick.
“He couldn’t walk. His feet were extremely swollen and infected just from walking so much, and possibly the cold where he was,” Scott told the outlet.
Eric reportedly told the couple he had been lost for two weeks after leaving his home in Oceanside, which is over 30 hours’ walking distance away from where he was discovered.
Scott said Eric described his rescue as a “Thanksgiving miracle.” He also told the couple he had been surviving on only half a jar of salsa over the last two weeks.
Scott and her boyfriend called 911.
Local County Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Mike McClintock confirmed to publication Outside that a rescue crew was sent to the remote area where Eric was found, but an airlift was eventually sent to remove him from the area.
McClintock said Eric had “minor injuries” but is in good health.
This past summer, the RCMP warned that all hikers should be more aware of the dangers involved in exploring the outdoors. The statement came after two hikers were injured in a remote area of Cape Breton in June.
The authority said all hikers should plan properly before heading out, especially to remote areas and especially in the cold winter months.
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