
- Andrew Barber survived nine days in Canadian wilderness drinking dirty pond water
- He was found by rescuers after carving HELP on a rock and drawing SOS in the mud
- Barber went missing on July 31 near McLeese Lake after his truck broke down
A man managed to survive in the Canadian wilderness for nine days by just living off dirty pond water. The man, identified as Andrew Barber, 39, was rescued after carving the word "HELP" on a rock and drawing "SOS" in the mud. He was found sheltering under a makeshift mud lean-to next to the signs, according to a report in the BBC.
Mr Barber was reported missing on July 31 near McLeese Lake, approximately 587km north of Vancouver, where his truck had broken down. His position was located after a helicopter spotted his truck on a forest road.
"After over a week in the wilderness, our subject has been located alive during today's search from the air. This outcome is the result of countless hours on the ground and in the air, using every resource and piece of technology available to us," Quesnel Search and Rescue (QSR), an area volunteer search and rescue group, posted on Facebook.
"This outcome is the result of countless hours on the ground and in the air, using every resource and piece of technology available to us."
QSR President Bob Zimmerman said Mr Barber was having a hard time standing and it was highly unlikely that he would have made it through another 24 hours without the rescue workers recovering him.
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'He sustained some injuries'
Staff Sergeant Brad McKinnon of the Williams Lake RCMP said Mr Barber survived by "literally slurping unclean pond water to stay hydrated".
“The human body can go a long time without food, but water is a different situation," said Mr McKinnon, adding: “He sustained some injuries and was severely dehydrated. We found him at the right time."
After the rescue, he was taken to the hospital for treatment and has since been released.
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