A who’d been missing for 10 days in the Californian wilderness has been rescued, after surviving for 10 days on berries and creek water. Lukas McClish thought he’d only be gone for a three hours or so when he started his hike on June 11 in Boulder Creek, about 14 miles north of Santa Cruz. He didn’t even bother putting on a shirt, was equipped only with some scissors and a , and didn’t tell anyone where he was going.
“I left with a pair of pants and my and a hat,” McClish told KGO-TV. “I had a flashlight and a pair of folding scissors – like a Leatherman tool – and that was about it.” When he didn't show up for Father's Day dinner, his family became worried and he was declared missing on Sunday, June 16.
According to McClish, he became lost because recent forest fire damage in the area had destroyed any landmarks he recognized. He spent the next few days going up and down canyons, drinking water – collected using his boots – from waterfalls and creeks, and foraging for berries, while fantasizing about making it home and tucking into burritos and taco bowls. He says that at one point he sensed a mountain lion following him, but it didn’t show any signs of attacking him.
By the fifth day, he admits he thought, “I might be in over my head,” but never let panic set in: “I felt comfortable the whole time I was out there – I wasn’t worried...
I think it was just somebody watching over me.” Matters worsened on day eight when he came down with hy.
