Lost Texas Hiker Found Alive in Arkansas Wilderness
I love camping in Arkansas. My only regret about enjoying the wilderness there is that I don't get the chance to do it more often. That being said, you absolutely have to respect the fact that you are hanging out on nature's turf or your outdoorsy getaway can turn into a nightmare in a heartbeat. Such was the case for Fort Worth native Joshua McClatchy, who got way more from his adventure in the Natural State than he bargained for.
The 38 year old set out to hike the Buckeye Trail in the Caney Creek Wilderness Area on June 1st and lost his way. McClatchy's first move was to text his mom. According to the Facebook group made June 4th to share news about the search quickly with friends and family, Joshua got lost about 2 miles from the trail head. It would be nearly one week before he would see another human.
On Friday, around 10:30 pm, a team of rescue workers located the dehydrated and disoriented hiker in the Ouachita National Forest. Joshua had seen a helicopter earlier that evening and had been waving his flashlight, but was unsure if personnel aboard the search saw him. Luckily they did, and were able to direct the team to his location.
McClatchy was carried out of the wilderness and transported to the nearest hospital (Mena Regional Health System) where he was treated. CNN reports that he is in good condition.
The search and rescue teams with the Polk County Sheriff's office used everything at their disposal to find Joshua - including drones, bloodhounds and cell phone data to triangulate his position. A GoFundMe page to cover the cost of the rescue brought in more than $11,000.