Mistakes were certainly made. A hiker became lost in the woods for nearly a week after attempting to take a shortcut but falling from a tree. Miraculously, he managed to survive the elements.
According to a Facebook post from the Kitsap County Sheriff's Office, they responded to a call of a lost hiker on June 21. Apparently, the man had been stuck in the woods for days.
They wrote, "A man who said he had been stuck in the woods for days is recovering after a search and rescue operation located him and brought him to safety. A man in the 17700 block of Suquamish Way NE called 911 after he heard a voice in the woods calling for help around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 21st. When a Kitsap County Sheriff's Deputy arrived, he could hear a faint, distressful voice coming from the woods from a man saying he had fallen from a tree."
Hiker Survives For Days
From there, search and rescue crews mobilized to try and find the missing hiker.
They continued, "KCSO mobilized a search and rescue team, including Washington Explorer Search and Rescue, Kitsap Search Dogs, Olympic Mountain Rescue, and the Suquamish Tribal Police Department. Establishing a command post at the Suquamish PD headquarters, searchers began combing the area and located the man around 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning. He told rescuers he had been lost for 4 to 5 days while trying to take a shortcut through the woods. North Kitsap Fire and Rescue transported the man to St. Michael's Medical Center for evaluation and treatment."
Fortunately, search and rescue found the man and transported him to get help. He had apparently been lost for days after his shortcut ended up being less than ideal. Police continued, "Apparently, the man was provided a ride to the end of a road, became disoriented and wondered into the woods, where he remained for a few days, according to the recovered person."
Authorities transported him to St. Michael's Medical Center for evaluation and treatment. At this time, they're not revealing his identity. But it's fortunate that the man managed to survive for so long.
