A HIKER who went missing for 10 days in the remote California mountains has survived with nothing more than a pair of pants and a torch.
Lukas McClish, 34, embarked on what was meant to be a three-hour hike through the Big Basin Redwoods State Park in Boulder Creek on June 11.
But he soon lost his way, partially due to the destruction of local landmarks by recent wildfires.
His family reported him missing after he didn’t show up for a Father’s Day dinner - five days later on June 16 - triggering a multi-day search and rescue effort.
Lukas, an experienced hiker who explored other tough areas of the United States, took only a handful of supplies and didn't tell anyone where he was going.
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"I didn't bring anything because I thought I was doing a three-hour hike to go to work," he said.
When he got lost, Lukas said he had only a flashlight and folding scissors, as well as his shoes and a hat.
"And that was about it,” he added.
The hiker, who does landscaping in forests razed by wildfires, was eventually found uninjured on Thursday thanks to a drone from the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office.
Astonishing pictures showed Lukas reunited with his loved ones after surviving on nothing but wild berries and a gallon of water each day.
He was seen with skin stained by the rough terrain dirt and his hair tangled and matted.
But despite the rugged appearance, Lukas said he was "comfortable the whole time I was out there" and "wasn't worried about it".
After getting lost, he said he "kind of just hiked".
Lukas added: "Each day, I go up a canyon, down a canyon to the next waterfall, sit down by the waterfall, drink water out of my boot.
"I had a mountain lion that was following me, but it was cool.
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"It kept its distances. I think it was just somebody watching over me."
The hiker said he survived by drinking large quantities of water using his boot to collect it.
“I just made sure I drank a gallon of water every day, but then after, getting close to the end of it, my body needed food and some kind of sustenance,” he explained.
In a post on X, Cal Fire San Mateo, which assisted in the rescue efforts, said there were “multiple reports of witnesses hearing someone yelling for help, but the location of that person was hard to establish”.
They said Lukas was found in the forest between Empire Grade Road and the Big Basin Highway in Santa Cruz County.
“This truly was a team effort with the best outcome we could have hoped for,” the sheriff’s office said.
Lukas said the ordeal left him “tired and a little sore”, and that he was moved to see all the rescue teams that had searched for him.
"It was just really humbling and I don't know, it was an awesome experience," he said.
But the explorer admitted will not be going out in the wilderness anytime soon.
"I did enough hiking for probably the whole rest of the year," he said.
