A California hiker has spoken out about his miraculous survival after falling more than a thousand feet down a treacherous trail in Oahu, Hawaii.
Ian Snyder, 34, disappeared three nights after his terrifying accident last Monday on Koolau Summit Trail, one of the most challenging trails on the islands.
Only thanks to a creepy video he posted on social media were rescuers able to pinpoint his location at the base of a waterfall.
Snyder was found dehydrated and suffering from multiple broken bones, and was immediately transported to a local hospital for medical attention.
After spending three days in the hospital, Snyder met with his rescuers and personally expressed his gratitude during a news conference on Tuesday.
Ian Snyder, 34, managed to survive three days at the base of a waterfall after falling off a treacherous trail at a height of three hundred meters in Oahu, Hawaii and breaking several bones
His creepy social media post allowed rescuers to locate him with the help of members of a local hiking group
Ian Snyder, 34, disappeared three nights after falling last Monday on Koolau Summit Trail, one of the most challenging trails on the islands
“I couldn't believe it when people said to me, 'You fell 1,000 feet off the cliff' and I thought, how did I even survive?” the father of three said Tuesday.
“It's a miracle, first of all. “I'm happy to be here, incredibly happy to be here and happy to be mostly whole,” he added.
The hiker and travel blogger said he had no memory of the fall, but woke up to find an arm broken, with no idea how long he had been there.
He was lucky enough to fall near a waterfall, which saved his life.
“I made sure I had a spot where I could get water with my right hand if I needed to,” he said. “And I just hunkered down there and time passed.”
“I am incredibly grateful to all of you for the work you do every day,” he told the firefighters and emergency responders at the conference.
The hiker and travel blogger said he had no memory of the fall, but woke up to find a broken arm and had no idea how long he had been there.
After spending three days in the hospital, Snyder met with his rescuers and personally expressed his gratitude during Tuesday's news conference
“I couldn't believe it when people said to me, 'You fell 1,000 feet off the cliff' and I thought, how did I even survive?” he said Tuesday
Snyder is a travel blogger who has three internationally adopted children. He wrote flights and reviews for a travel publication and regularly posted about his travels on X, formerly Twitter.
It was his last creepy social media post before disappearing for three days and ultimately helped save his life.
In the post, he wrote: “current situation,” along with a video showing the view of a valley and the cloud-shrouded Koolau Peak.
After reporting the missing to the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), the family sought help from members of the Oahu Hiking Community group on Facebook.
“We were so grateful for that message. That was our starting point because I had no idea he was in Hawaii. He doesn't always tell me his travels,” his sister Sara Borgeson said KITV.
After police determined the hiker's last known geolocation, rescue teams conducted an aerial search.
Snyder is a travel blogger who has three internationally adopted children
He wrote flights and reviews for travel publications and regularly posted about his travels on X, formerly Twitter
He posted photos and videos of the view of a valley and Koolau Peak shrouded in clouds before he was missing for three days.
Snyder was found 1,000 feet below the Pali Notches Trail and was given basic life support before being transported to a hospital.
While recovering in the hospital, he was in a lot of pain — “a lot more pain than he was in even if he was there for three days,” Borgeson said in an interview with KITV.
He suffered a “broken cheekbone, a broken bone in his finger or hand, and many scratches,” she explained.
“There were truly angels around him those three days,” Borgeson wrote after the rescue, reported by the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
“We are so grateful for the local community there on Oahu, and for the countless people who prayed for him. Thank you!!” she added.
Snyder said at the press conference, “I have made my peace with God. I said, 'I know you. I know that Christ is Lord and that He is my Savior. I'll be fine, whether I live or die. ''
He learned a valuable lesson from the terrifying experience — to avoid hiking alone in Hawaii, but also said he plans to keep exploring the trails.
“I don't know how God will use this instrumentally in my life, but I hope it will be helpful in the long run,” he said.
After police determined the hiker's last known geolocation with the help of the hiking community, rescue teams conducted an aerial search.
Snyder was found 1,000 feet below the Pali Notches Trail and was given basic life support before being transported to a hospital
Snyder reunites with families after recovering in a hospital
Amber Fonte of the Oahu Hiking Community said, “I thought the best gift we could give to the family was that we found a body.
“When we found a whole human being, living and breathing and waving at the sky. It looked like a Merry Christmas.”