California man missing for more than a week found alive in remote canyon

A California man was found alive more than a week after he went missing. 

Lukas McClish, 34, was reported missing by his family on June 11, officials said on social media. He was last seen on foot in the Boulder Creek area of Santa Cruz, wearing all-black clothing. 

At around 3 p.m. local time on Thursday, several witnesses reported “hearing someone yelling for help” near Foreman Creek, off an area highway, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said on social media. Deputies and other officials responded to the scene and confirmed that it was McClish calling for help. 

Drones were used to find McClish’s exact location in a remote canyon before officials attempted to reach him on foot. State parks rangers met McClish first. Fire crews were then able to assist in bringing him to safety. Photos show officials gathered around a densely wooded area. 

“There are no trails, no roads, several miles from the closest place to a road, which the closest road that we got into, we had to four-wheel drive probably a quarter of a mile in and then we couldn’t go further,” Boulder Creek Fire Protection District Chief Mark Bingham told local news outlet The Santa Cruz Sentinel.

McClish needed assistance to hike out of the woods, Bingham said, but he had no major injuries and has been reunited with his family, the sheriff’s office said. The Boulder Creek Volunteer Fire Department said on social media that McClish had survived out in the elements for more than a week. 

“About 10 days he survived in the wilderness, essentially, drinking out of the creek and eating wild berries,” Bingham told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “For the most part, he was disoriented and lost and surviving off of the land, which is pretty impressive to say what a tough individual he was or is.”