Hiker Hears Man Who'd Been Missing For Two Weeks Crying Out

Sep 03, 2020 by apost team

Last month, a man and his two children rescued a hiker who was stranded in a New Mexico forest for 14 days. John Utsey was on a hike with his kids in the Santa Fe National Forest when they encountered the unidentified hiker.

It is always recommended to do certain wilderness activities in a group. Hiking or walking on a trail can become frightening very fast in your are unaccompanied by a friend.

When faced with a similar situation, one man acted so bravely that his quick actions saved someone's life. Again, it is never recommended to go hiking by yourself.

The story began in the middle of August when John Utsey and his family were hiking in the nature trails of Santa Fe. John told KRQE News that his daughter went ahead of the group and was out of sight for a few minutes and thus, John called out to her. The group was surprised to hear not only his daughter call back but also another voice.

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The group spent their time trying to determine where the second voice was coming from. They eventually stumbled across a man lying in the woods just waiting for help to come. John claimed that he could tell that this man was in trouble without even checking. The man's lips were chapped to the point of having blisters and he was extremely skinny.

John's group rushed back in the trail to find help. While waiting for help from first responders, they learned a bit more about the man they had found in the woods. He had been hiking on the trail when he was unable to move any further because of his back problems. He had been in the woods 14 days, surviving on just filtered water from a stream.

Although John gave the first responders directions on how to find the man, the rescue teams were unsuccessful in locating him. They eventually halted the search and John realized that the man's life was left in his hands.

He prepared for a long hike and then set out the following day to find the man. He called 911 and waited for the rescue teams to arrive. He would lead them directly to the man. The man was eventually found in a near-death state.

According to a Facebook post by Santa Fe Fire Department, he was frostbitten due to the harsh, cold temperatures in Santa Fe and could not be moved. The rescue teams had to warm him by fire before he could be transported to a hospital. They then wrapped him in protective blankets and climbed back up the trail. He is now on the right path to recovery and doing well.

Thankfully, the rescue teams made it to the scene right on time. If it was not for the efforts of John Utsey, who knows what would have happened to the poor hiker. Sometimes, all it takes to be a hero is being in the right place at the perfect time.

While John could have left him in the hands of the initial search teams, he decided to go back and lead the search himself. This simple act of kindness made a huge difference in the hiker's life.

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