Surviving in the wilderness can be much harder than it sounds. Especially if it is for an extended duration of time. However a man named Robert Schock survived in the North Cascades National Park for 30 days. Now, he explains how he survived in the wilderness with his dog for a month.
Man Survived In The Wilderness With His Dog
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Robert Schock had an intense interview with PEOPLE detailing his month-long stay in the wilderness in a Washington state national park. The man shared with PEOPLE that he had been to the North Cascades National Park in the past and had enjoyed it. In the past, he had visited a specific trailhead, and it was his intention to visit it again with his dog. However, the Guardian shares that "wildfires in 2021 as well as 2022 had wiped out the trail that had been their previously."
Mix that with an old map and the Schock quickly found himself lost in the wilderness with nothing but his pup. While I am sure he was scared initially, I guarantee he never imagined having to tell the story of how he survived a month in the wilderness with his dog. Things slowly got worse for Robert. On his second day in the wilderness, his phone died. On the third, he made the difficult decision to send his dog Freddy home.
Authorities were able to locate Freddy and Schock's car but they had no idea where Schock was, or if he had any intention of returning. According to The Guardian, Schock's mother shared that he had left his wallet in his car, leading her and authorities to believe that perhaps he had gotten lost on purpose.
When recounting his survival tactics Schock admits he had "taken over some bears' abandoned nesting grounds." He fed on berries and the occasional mushroom to sustain himself. He had no hunting or overnight equipment to help him survive.
Days Turn Into A Month
Schock did try calling for help. He even attempted to gain the attention of a helicopter flying overhead, but it was to no avail. He admitted that he just wanted the experience to be over, and that by the end of it he was thinking "I just want it to end." Schock knew his time was near, as his bowels emptied themselves without his consent.
As he lay naked by a riverbed, he gave one last attempt at salvation. Luckily, his feeble screams were answered this time. "Members of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association" were returning to their camp after performing maintenance on a trail. They heard him and came to his aid. The gave him as shirt and assessed the situation. While Schock was alive, he was not well.
He was flown to a hospital where he received care. While he has been discharged he is still recovering. Additionally, he admits that although he survived in the wilderness for a month it aged him "several years." Also, understandably, he has no desire to return to the park anytime soon.
