Hiker Lukas McClish’s family say they’re ‘thankful, blessed and relieved’ after he survived 10 days lost in California mountains by drinking water from his boot and eating berries

Lukas McClish’s family have said they are ‘grateful, blessed and relieved’ after he survived 10 days in remote California mountains by drinking water from his boot and eating berries.

The shirtless hiker, 34, had embarked on a three-hour hike through Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek on June 11 after visiting a friend who told him there were rare granite outcroppings in the area.

Lukas didn’t tell anyone where he was going and only brought some stuff with him because he only wanted to be away for the afternoon.

His mother, Diane, spoke out about the ordeal after Lukas was rescued on June 20. 5 CALB that some nights she had to “just trust God that he would be okay,” which was often difficult because she worried about where her son slept and how cold it was.

The hiker drank creek water from his hiking boot, ate wild berries and slept on a wet bed of leaves as he desperately screamed for help.

Finally, after ten days of waiting, someone heard his screams and called emergency services, allowing Lukas to finally be reunited with his family.

‘I met a lot of people. “Many people told me how much they loved my son and that they hoped we would find him,” his mother said.

“I didn’t know so many people in this town loved him,” she added.

Also talked to ABC7 ChicagoAfter Lukas returned home, the family said they are grateful for all the help they received during the ordeal.

“We are so grateful and blessed,” his mother said, placing a hand on her son’s shoulder.

The family revealed that they wouldn’t be hitting the trails again anytime soon due to Lukas’ recent 10-day horror.

“I’ve probably done enough walking for the rest of the year,” Lukas chimed in.

On June 11, Lukas left his house with pants, his hiking boots and a hat told KGO-TV.

“I had a flashlight and a pair of folding scissors, like a Leatherman tool – and that was about it.”

Lukas, an experienced hiker who does landscaping in forests devastated by fires, said he was “surprised” he got lost – and so quickly.

But his parents only raised the alarm when he failed to show up for lunch on Father’s Day on June 16, five days after he left.

“I just made sure I drank a liter of water every day, but when it got low, my body needed food and some kind of nourishment,” he said.

At one point a mountain lion started following him and on day eight things got worse when he came down hypothermia and slipped while driving over a rock wall.

So decided to shout: “Help, help, I’m here” for about 48 hours before several of the 300 rangers searching for him heard him.

A drone was sent and with the help of a sniffer dog he was quickly found. And remarkably, he only needed one night in hospital before he could return home to his family, who had been waiting for him at the edge of the forest when he was rescued.

The area he hiked in was destroyed in the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire and “looks completely different than all the other terrain,” he explained.

“That’s something I didn’t take into account: if the fire comes right through and decimates it, it turns into the desert and you can’t get your bearings anymore.”

The typical marking signs to indicate the direction, such as deer trails or hiking trails, had disappeared.

But initially, Lukas saw his predicament as an opportunity to test his survival skills. according to the New York Times.

“I’m an avid backpacker, so going out for a night or two is not unusual,” he told the Times.

But that first cold night, Lukas tried to build a camp for himself, but the brush he used to light the fire was wet.

He then hiked through a gorge for better shelter, and the next day he looked for a stream he thought would be close by.

“So I just went for a little walk,” Lukas told WDBJ. “Every day I go up a gorge, down a gorge, to the next waterfall, drinking water from my boot.”

“Every time I was there I felt comfortable,” he said. “I wasn’t worried about it.”

“I had a mountain lion following me, but it was cool,” Lukas added. ‘It kept distance.

“I think it was just someone watching over me.”

But on day five, Lukas started to worry and tried to find a way back to civilization.

“I knew if I kept following the sun I would eventually reach the ocean, but I didn’t know how far I was from the ocean,” he said.

Meanwhile, his family became concerned when he didn’t show up on Father’s Day and filed a missing person report.

This led to a huge manhunt, involving almost 300 people and emergency workers from various agencies.

As search efforts continued, Lukas began screaming for help when he developed hypothermia and slipped while going over a rock wall.

“Help, help, I’m here,” he remembers shouting over and over during days eight and nine, along with “Is anyone there?”

At the same time, Lukas said he kept dreaming about his next meal while he was forced to survive on wild berries.

“I wanted a burrito or a taco bowl,” he said. “That’s what I thought about every day when, after the first five days, I started to realize that I might be in over my head.”

Finally, around 7:30 PM on Thursday, two park rangers walked up a hill and heard Lukas’ screams.

“I think: I hope this isn’t a mirage,” Lukas said.

But the Boulder Creek Fire Department soon deployed a drone and spotted him, while a dog tracked him down.

He was then escorted out of the wilderness by police and reunited with his concerned family.