One California man doesn’t have to prove his abilities to survive. After getting his truck stuck on what’s described as a Jeep trail, he spent 20 days in the wilderness. He’s lucky to be returning from his hunting trip alive. 

California man survives in the wilderness for 20 days as truck gets stuck 

Ron Dailey of California is an experienced hunter who had his survival skills put to the test. Fresno County police officers received reports of a missing man when Dailey never returned from his hunting trip around Swamp Lake Trail in the Sierra National Forest. 

This triggered a massive search-and-rescue operation near Shaver Lake. Emergency response groups spent days searching for Dailey. They scanned the forest and traveled over rough terrain. 

On day 20, he was found alive by another group of hunters. Dailey admitted to making a wrong turn after stopping his truck at the top of the Swamp Lake Trail. He then traveled down what he described as a ‘Jeep trail’. 

After driving down the path a little way, he tried to turn around but was stuck. He decided to go further down the trail. Despite following the trail signs, his truck was torn up due to rocky terrain. 

Upon reaching a rocky plateau, he stopped on a flat part of the trail to use his pickup for shelter. According to ABC News, after a few days, he abandoned the pickup to look for help. 

Walking in the challenging terrain at an altitude of 10,000 feet was challenging. He walked for days, fell twice, and lost his phone. 

When he saw the headlights of a car, he was overcome with joy. The hunters gave him food and water, and he shared that he went without food for six days.