A Vietnam veteran is recovering after he spent five days lost in the Arizona wilderness — surviving rattlesnake attacks, drinking his own urine, and sleeping under trees, according to reports and authorities.
Mark Eric Young, 76, decided to extend his stay in the Verde Valley area after attending a wedding and drove out to Bloody Basin for a solo hike on April 16, according to Arizona Family and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office.
Young, who lives in North Carolina, did not show up for a scheduled dinner with a family friend the following day — prompting his concerned family to report him missing to police, who launched an all-out search.
The grandfather had traveled the trail multiple times, but recalled suddenly losing his path.
“I blundered. I got off the wrong trail,” he told 12News.
The veteran who completed two tours of duty in Vietnam said the situation quickly spiraled into the most terrifying mission of his life.
“I’ve never been without water for five days,” Young told the outlet.
Young sheltered under cedar and pine trees each night and had limited supplies with him, including a military compass, canteens, lighters, and water purification tablets, the publicatiion reported.
At one point, the US Army vet was attacked by a rattlesnake and forced to stone the creature to death.
“I came around a corner, and it was rattling, and I heard it, and I think he saw me about the same time. Well, maybe he saw me early, because he was rattling, and he struck, but he was short on that strike, and then I stoned him to death,” he said.
On his third day lost in the wilderness, Young’s water supply ran out — forcing him to drink his own urine.
“It was on the third day when I actually had to drink my own urine,” he said. “So I urinated in my canteen and drank it because I knew I had to, to survive.”
Without knowing if rescuers were coming for him, Young turned to his faith and thoughts of his seven children and 31 grandchildren, he recalled.
“Being encouraged was different scriptures and different remembrances of near-death situations in my life, and just not feeling like this is not the way to die, you know, by giving up definitely,” he said.
Meanwhile, dozens of search-and-rescue crews and Young’s children hunted for the seasoned hiker.
Investigators eventually located his vehicle and followed evidence into a field. They then discovered the dead rattlesnake’s carcass, which alerted them that he could be nearby.
By the fifth day, Young heard voices yelling out to him. Though he didn’t recognize the voices at first, they turned out to be his sons, Paul and Josh.
“I heard him talking. I didn’t know. I had no idea that it would be my sons, and or my family. I just yelled out because I was really worn out,” Young said. “It was incredible. I mean, we wept and hugged.”
The grandad was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital and treated for dehydration, but suffered no broken bones or serious injuries.
He said the fight for his life has shifted his focus and made him recognize the strangers and his family who dedicated themselves to his rescue.
“It makes you weep. It’s just because of the love. It isn’t about me, it’s about those — the community, unity, and the people that are willing to even risk their lives for the rescue,” he said.
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