After 5 days lost and entirely alone, an elderly hiker was found alive in the Sierra Nevada wilderness.
On Wednesday, Warren Elliot was spotted around 8 AM by another hiker, 10 miles west of Lake Tahoe. According to the NY Post, the hiker was passing by California's Hell Hole when they spotted Elliot.
Elliot, who is 70 years old, had survived the five days by drinking water from the river and eating berries. Upon his rescue, Elliot's clothes were tattered. Luckily, that seemed to be the only signs of his troublesome week. Elliot was reported as "in good spirits" and without any significant injuries.
Obviously, Elliot's family was extremely relieved to be reunited with him. After being airlifted to Homewood Mountain Resort, Elliot was able to reconnect with his family. The scene was thrilling, and captured on video. Moreover, Elliot was returned his cowboy hat, which he had left behind when he went on what he intended to be a leisure-filled walk.
Unfortunately for Elliot, a wrong turn in the early afternoon set him up for what would be a confusing next 5 days, as he was never able to make his way back to the campsite he had left from. His mistake is a good reminder to all, to be extra careful when hiking in vast parks. Elliot was well-accustomed to the area and still got himself into quite a pickle.
Elderly Hiker Rescued After Days in Wilderness
In a statement from the Placer County Sheriff's Office, Elliot was confirmed to have traveled 9 miles, as the crow flies, from where he was last seen, to where he was found. Of course, he had traveled much further than that during his time lost.
Ironically, it was a single hiker who spotted Elliot, rather than the massive team sent out on a manhunt in the days prior. Drones, ATVs, Blackhawk helicopters, dog teams, and up to 100 volunteers a day had searched for Elliot to no avail.
They always say it just takes one. In Elliot's case, that was certainly true, as one hiker made all the difference.
