Hiker stranded for 17 days in Oregon wilderness
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 9 months ago
“I dropped all of my protocols that I would normally follow,” he said. “I didn’t implement the seven P’s: Proper, prior, planning prevents piss poor performance.”
Burleigh emphasized how leaving extra supplies behind, even a water bottle, made the situation even more challenging.
“It sounds funny, but it’s so true. You gotta take those kind of considerations when going out in Mother Nature,” he said. “And if you’re not prepared for it, she’ll hammer you.”
What was planned as an overnight fishing trip in the Twin Lakes area in early May turned into a 17-day search.
Burleigh began hiking into the Twin Lakes area before he lost the trail. What ensued was more than two weeks of pure survival as search and rescue teams from throughout the Pacific Northwest attempted to find the 69-year-old.
Burleigh was due to return from his fishing trip on May 6, a Thursday. Friday morning, Stacy Burleigh started to get concerned.
More than 100 volunteers assisted in the search for Burleigh in the Calf Creek area, ranging from trained mountain rescue and ground searchers, K-9s to eyes in the sky via both plane and helicopter. That search began on Mother’s Day, based at the lower Twin Lakes trailhead.
On May 16, searchers located a makeshift shelter and a fishing tackle box they identified as belonging to Burleigh. They left Burleigh some supplies, a lighter, asked Burleigh to start a fire, and left a note that said “we will be back tomorrow to get you.”
Here’s a little more detail.
Burleigh said he got lost and the next day it snowed. He tried to find his way out but realized things were serious.
“I tripped and fell and hit this first log, bounced to the next log, lost my fishing pole, crushed the reel against my hip and smacked my head pretty hard,” Burleigh said.
After a few days lost, Burleigh said he lost a sense of time and was feeling disoriented.
“It’s uncomfortable, it’s cold, you’re hungry. You have a sense of not thinking clearly,” Burleigh said.
Burleigh said he drank his own urine and ate bugs to stay alive.
But wait. Does this paint a slightly different picture?
His 17-day disappearance and the search effort that followed consisting of about 100 volunteers began as an overnight fishing trip, but Burleigh said everything took a wrong turn when he started down a trail that was supposed to be a quick hike and lost his way.
This was going to be an over-nighter? We’ve discussed this before. For any trip into the bush – any trip, including day hikes – I carry the following: [1] Big bore handgun, [2] flashlight, [3] fire starter, [4] 550 cordage, [5] water and container, [6] energy bars and maybe other food, [7] knife, [8] heavy rubberized poncho or at least a rain parka for cover from rain and a tarp for the night.
And I should start religiously carry a med kit.
It’s a wonder this guy is alive.
On July 18, 2021 at 10:47 pm, Man in TX said:
Drank his own urine??? I thought he was on a fishing trip? I would assume water would be fairly near to his location. I can see this occurring on a trip to the arid location, but the PNW?
On July 19, 2021 at 6:10 am, Mike Austin said:
Something odd here. I have backpacked and hiked all over Oregon. Burleigh was “an experienced hiker”? He did not act like one. Something is missing from this tale. Maybe a lot of things.
On July 19, 2021 at 7:19 am, June J said:
An experienced hiker carried no compass or topographical map of the area he was going into?
On July 19, 2021 at 8:38 am, Woody said:
I would be interested in seeing where he parked, the trailhead and which lake he was headed to and where he was found. Something seems odd about this story.
On July 19, 2021 at 11:18 am, Blackjack said:
Also another thing for your must have list is a VHF Radio. There are 4-5 high level 2 meter repeaters in that area that could accessed with a handheld radio from the right location. Probably a leftist tree huger from Portland. I see Idiots like that out in those mountains all the time. And why would you have to drink your own Piss in the PNW. Da Fuq
On July 19, 2021 at 1:09 pm, BAP45 said:
Just looked at what I think is the area and something does seem off. Shortest trail is over 13 miles long, and along a ridge. And even if he was planning to bush whack it, it has some reasonably distinct topography that even without a map should have stood out to him. But a hike of that length that far into the back country with no equipment to speak of raises an eyebrow.
Here’s a link (not sure if it works) showing the area and conditions.
On July 19, 2021 at 1:58 pm, Kick Ass said:
Oregon?
69 YO and no more wilderness sense than that?
Must be a dyed in the wool liberal to be that stupid.
On July 19, 2021 at 4:48 pm, xtphreak said:
Darwinism missed another chance to weed out the shallow end of the gene pool.
probably read too much “ultralight hiking” BS.
Hell, a mil poncho, woobie, a canteen/canteen stove/canteen cup, a sawyer filter and a sil-nylon tarp might weigh 3 lbs, but I doubt it.
matches, a knife, a ferro rod, and a pistol and it’d still be less than 5 lbs probably.
a 4 Mountain Home meals might add up to a lb.
LEFT A WATER BOTTLE??
WTF?
On July 20, 2021 at 10:55 am, Geoff said:
Stupid people doing stupid things. If you have a smartphone and there is no signal, most have a built-in GPS and there are apps that can use it.
On July 23, 2021 at 1:56 pm, Matt said:
He’s probably suffering from the early stages of dementia.