Big Bear Lake,.Photo: File: Shutterstock
Allison Scott and her boyfriend were camping between Big Bear Lake and Angelus Oaks on Black Friday.
However, their holiday trip took a detour, Scott told ABC 7 in Los Angeles.
Scott and her boyfriend jumped into action and spotted a man.
“We end up finding him, and my boyfriend is looking over the ridge and calling out, ‘Hey I see you,'” Scott explained to ABC 7. “He had a stick with a water bottle on it trying to signal. He couldn’t walk. His feet were extremely swollen and infected just from walking so much, and possibly the cold where he was.”
Scott added that Eric told the pair that he had gotten lost two weeks ago after leaving his hometown Oceanside, California, which is 30-plus hours walking distance from where he was found. He lived off of a half-empty jar of salsa to stay alive.
“When we did find him, he said ‘It’s a Thanksgiving miracle,'” Scott told the news station.
She called authorities and a rescue helicopter was able to recover Eric within 15 minutes. However, Scott said she wasn’t ready to part ways just yet, and confirmed that he was okay. She and her boyfriend plan on staying in touch with him.
“He said he doesn’t have a cellphone. We have his landline phone and he said, ‘Whenever you’re in Oceanside, I’ll take you out to dinner. Just give me a call,'” Scott told ABC 7.
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“He also said, ‘I’m very sorry for putting a damper on your camping trip,’ and I said, ‘I’m just glad you’re OK,'” Scott continued, adding that she told Eric, “I’m glad we found you.”
Battalion Chief and spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District Mike McClintock said in a statement via email, per Outside Online, thatrescue crews were sentto Eric’s location before authorities asked for a helicopter.
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He was then taken to an ambulance. Eric had suffered “minor injuries.”
source: people.com
