Man lost in wild for nine days survived by 'slurping unclean pond water'
A man 'slurped unclean pond water' to stay alive for nine days after his car broke down in a vast wilderness.
Andrew Barber had written the word 'help' into a massive rock and spelled out 'SOS' in mud in a desperate bid to be rescued in the Cariboo region of British Columbia, Canada. The 39-year-old, who went missing on July 31, survived by drinking pond water and he built a shelter made from wood and mud. He was eventually found on August 8 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police after a helicopter saw his broken down vehicle which allowed them to hone in on the area.
And rescuers said that he had used survival tactics to stay alive but even so was severely dehydrated and he had an injured leg. It comes after a dead body is found in 'underground ancient cave' in popular UK beauty spot.
READ MORE: Schoolboy, 13, has both legs amputated after 'getting cramp' at sports camp
'I don't know that he would have made it another 24 hours without us recovering him,' said Bob Zimmerman, from Quesnel Search and Rescue. 'He was in poor health, he was having a hard time standing.'
An image from the rescue team shows a type of bivouac that Andrew had built from wood and mud which was next to rock that had the word help written on it.
Mr Barber went missing near McLeese Lake which is around 365 miles north of Vancouver after his vehicle broke down.
"He was literally slurping unclean pond water to stay hydrated," Staff Sgt. Brad McKinnon of the Williams Lake Royal Canadian Mounted Police McKinnon, told Canadian Press News. "The human body can go a long time without food, but water is a different situation.
"I'll put it this way — had we not found him when we did, I would have had graver concerns than I currently do. We had been at this for nine days, and it was essentially like looking for a needle in a haystack. The Cariboo region of British Columbia is beautiful, but it is immense, and there are tons of rural and wilderness areas."
After being found, Andrew was flown to Cariboo Memorial Hospital in Williams Lake for treatment. He has now been discharged and is doing 'quite well' considering his ordeal.
In a post on their Facebook page, Quesnel Search and Rescue wrote: 'After over a week in the wilderness, our subject has been located alive during today's search from the air.
'This outcome is the result of countless hours on the ground and in the air, using every resource and piece of technology available to us. Quesnel Search and Rescue is on call 24/7, 365 days a year — and our entire team is made up of dedicated volunteers who give their time, skills, and heart to help those in need.
'We want to extend our deepest thanks to our partners: RCMP, PEP Air, and BC Emergency Health Services for their outstanding support in bringing this search to a successful conclusion. Today's result is why we train, why we respond, and why we never give up.'
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