Missing Texas hiker Josh McClatchy is found alive but severely dehydrated after getting lost for SIX DAYS in the Arkansas woods
- Joshua McClatchy, 38, of Fort Worth, Texas has been found alive after six days
- Officials said he was dehydrated but in good spirits when he was found Friday
- He was hiking in Arkansas to celebrate his birthday when the trip went awry
- McClatchy began his trek on the Buckeye Trail in the Caney Creek Wilderness area east of Mena in Arkansas on May 31
- McClatchy texted his mom on June 1 to say he was lost and needed help
- A National Guard helicopter equipped with infrared technology was used once the weather cleared up to search the vicinity where McClatchy was found
Searchers have found a Texas man who went missing last weekend while hiking alone in a remote area of Arkansas with only protein bars, bottled water and a filter straw to sustain himself.
Polk County Sheriff Scott Sawyer said 38-year-old Joshua McClatchy was dehydrated when he was found in the Caney Creek Wilderness area late on Friday.
Once the weather in the area cleared up, officials were able to use a helicopter and advanced technology to find McClatchy. It then took just an hour to reach him by foot and four more hours to get him to safety.
The extraction effort required the help of about 35 people in total, Sawyer said.
McClatchy of Fort Worth, Texas was said to be in good spirits, ABC News reported, and he was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
He had texted his mother on June 1 to say he was lost and to send help, before falling out of contact while lost on the Arkansas trek he had embarked on to celebrate his birthday.
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Searchers have found 38-year-old Joshua McClatchy, of Fort Worth, Texas (pictured) who went missing last weekend while hiking alone in a remote area of Arkansas to celebrate his birthday
Family and friends have joined the search for Joshua McClatchy, 38, of Fort Worth, Texas who went missing last weekend while on a hike in a remote area of Arkansas
Sawyer said improved weather conditions allowed searchers to use a National Guard helicopter equipped with infrared technology to search the vicinity where McClatchy was found, about 105 miles (170 kilometers) southwest of Little Rock.
The chopper crew spotted McClatchy within 30 minutes of the effort with the help of technology, but he was in such a remote location that it took rescuers on the ground an hour to reach him.
He was about three miles into the Caney Creek Wilderness area, off of the trail, Sawyer said.
It took about four more hours to carry him out to safety on a rescue cart with one wheel.
McClatchy was taken immediately to Mena Regional Health System in Mena, Arkansas, for medical evaluation. His parents and sister have reportedly been with him at the hospital.
McClatchy began his trek on the Buckeye Trail in the Caney Creek Wilderness area east of Mena in Arkansas on May 31, according to WFAA.
Around 11.30am the next day, McClatchy texted his mom pictures of the trail on which he was hiking. Roughly five hours later, he texted his mother again, this time to say he was lost.
'Hey mom, I need your help. Remain calm and we'll get through this,' McClatchy wrote.
Improved weather conditions allowed searchers to use a National Guard helicopter equipped with infrared technology to search the vicinity where McClatchy was found, about 105 miles (170 kilometers) southwest of Little Rock
He was dehydrated but in good spirits when he was found in the Caney Creek Wilderness area late on Friday
McClatchy began his trek on the Buckeye Trail in the Caney Creek Wilderness area east of Mena in Arkansas, on May 31
The local sheriff described the Caney Creek Wilderness in Arkansas as a 'remote and rugged mountainous area' with many hiking trails
Search and rescue teams started looking for McClatchy almost immediately, but all they found was his car, which was parked at the Buckeye Trail.
McClatchy was no where to be found until rescuers got a break with the weather on Friday, according to Polk County Sheriff D. Scott Sawyer.
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'We will do whatever it takes to find Mr. McClatchy and get him home to his family,' the sheriff told reporters on Tuesday. 'We will continue searching and we will find him.'
The sheriff said it's not uncommon for hikers to temporarily go missing, but noted they're usually found within hours.
He described Caney Creek as a 'remote and rugged mountainous area' with many hiking trails.
McClatchy's sister Miranda Balduff, told reporters it was a 'miracle' her brother found a cell phone signal to text his mother in the rural terrain
Ahead of McClatchy being found, his sister Miranda Balduff said, 'My brother is very smart and was well prepared for this trip'
Ahead of McClatchy being found, his sister Miranda Balduff, told reporters it was a 'miracle' her brother found a cell phone signal to text his mother in the rural terrain, also noting that he was an experienced hiker who knows how to survive in the wilderness.
'My brother is very smart and was well prepared for this trip,' she said, confident he would be found before he turned up on Friday.
'He loves hiking, camping and the outdoors... He was extremely excited about this trip. He spoke about the trip during all of our conversations for the last month.'
This was McClatchy's first solo attempt at a hiking excursion.
McClatchy's family members said he is an experienced hiker who knows how to survive in the wilderness
