Reporter said the hiker is "in the hospital, very hydrated, but he's going to be okay". That sounds like a mistake. Surely he meant to say "very dehydrated", right? Nope, the hiker really was well hydrated when he was rescued.
Hiker was apparently on trail, but unsure which way would take him back to his trailhead, so he left his jacket and pack at a signpost to attract attention, and spent four days at a nearby creek where he had water and shade.
That strikes me as odd. Over four days, I'd go a little bit each direction on the trail system, and see if anything looked familiar, see if there might be a useful sign, etc. I can't fathom a lost hiker holing up by a trail for four days.
I wonder what he was hospitalized for. Acute hunger? My suspicion is that S&R has a standing policy that all rescued hikers must be evaluated at a medical facility, but I have to laugh at how it would have turned out if he had finally given up and walked out on his own. Imagine he goes to the nearest ER:
"Hi, I was camped by a shady creek for four days. Got really hungry. Finally walked out. Grabbed a Snickers bar on the way over here. Can I get a room for the night?"
edit: His daughter, via phone, told him to go to hospital. Wow. But reporter says he's being treated. Not observed, treated. Treated for what?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyqFN7HeAek
puzzling story of Nevada hiker lost on trail for four days
Re: puzzling story of Nevada hiker lost on trail for four days
Considering how empty, hot and dry most of Nevada is, just going the wrong direction on a trail could conceivably be fatal. Since the outcome was extremely favorable it's hard to say the hiker made any mistakes in how he chose to respond to the situation.
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Re: puzzling story of Nevada hiker lost on trail for four days
It is just a mistake. The text version the story--for that same station and elsewhere--says dehydrated.
Re: puzzling story of Nevada hiker lost on trail for four days
Four days on a trail and he didn't see anyone? I think we have a place to hike where there's actual solitude.