While some people’s ideal vacation activity is to take a relaxing walk around town, others prefer venturing into the great outdoors.
But for one man hiking alone at the highest peak in New York State, his adventure went awry when he lost his way in the state swamp.
Source: Clark Rasmussen on Unsplash
The man, originally from Ireland, was last in contact with his wife in Singapore on 19 Jun. Three days later, on 22 Jun, he was found by forest rangers.
Thankfully, despite the ordeal, he was given a clean bill of health and was fit enough to drive.
According to The Straits Times (ST), the 58-year-old man from Singapore was hiking alone in the Adirondack region when he left a marked trail and lost his way.
The region is over 2.4 million ha large — almost 33 times the size of Singapore.
Source: Google Maps
He was last in contact with his wife on the evening of 19 Jun.
His wife, who had been tracking his progress via fitness tracker app Strava, realised that the signal was lost and notified local authorities for help.
Following that, about 10 forest rangers began the search of the perimeter of the swamp.
Rescuers called out his name, hoping to establish voice contact.
Forest rangers also contacted the man’s car rental company and located his vehicle via GPS at the Elk Lake parking area.
They found the man signed in but never signed out of the trail register.
Three days after losing contact with his wife, foot rangers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation found him in the swampy area in the region on 22 Jun.
According to forest rangers Andrew Lewis and Jamison Martin, who were part of the search and rescue, the man had drank swamp water to survive.
He suffered hypothermia from prolonged exposure to the cold.
ST reported that the 58-year-old’s clothes were tattered, and he had bug bites on his face.
After he was found, he changed into dry clothes, and paramedics gave him a clean bill of health.
Rangers then kept him under their watch for several more hours, feeding and giving him enough water.
They ensured he was fit enough to drive before letting him leave.
Rangers said the man was eager to check into a hotel and get home.
The 58-year-old man living in Singapore was reportedly a college professor who had left his job recently.
Following the incident, he told his wife that he would never hike that mountain range again.
Getting lost for three days in such a large mountainous region must have been a scarring experience as your survival instincts will be put to the test.
It’s a good thing the man’s wife had alerted authorities for help as soon as she noticed he had lost his signal. Otherwise, he could have been stranded for a longer time.
Despite the ordeal, we’re glad he did not suffer severe injuries.
Hopefully, he has recuperated well after the incident and returned to Singapore safely.
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Featured image adapted from Clark Rasmussen on Unsplash.
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