Barefoot Hiker Saves Hypothermic Friends Stranded in the Woods

Hiking in the woods can be a dangerous endeavor, especially with unpredictable factors in the winter like bears, snow, and deteriorated trails. After a trio of hikers in Maine decided to explore the woods of Cumberland Valley, two of them became stranded with their only hope being their friends, who himself didn't have shoes. 

According to Maine's Department of Inland Fisheries communication director Mark Latti, the area has marked trails and paths but is only meant to be traversed during the day. At some point during their hike, the group found themselves in a bog and decided to stay put for the night. After the sun began to rise, one of the hikers walked to a home nearby to ask for help. They weren't wearing any shoes, which raised some eyebrows, but officials believe the person could've taken them off in a state of hypothermic hysteria and lost them. 

"That could certainly be a symptom of hypothermia," Latti told Backpacker. “Obviously you don’t reason very well once hypothermia starts to set in and sometimes it goes along with that panic when you realize you’re lost and you might not get help."

The authorities then launched K-9 units to search for the hiker's friends who were left behind. They eventually found them in a bog "severely hypothermic and unable to walk." Officials started a fire to warm up the lucky survivors and offered them food and drink, and they were ultimately carried away on stretchers and taken to the hospital. 

Needless to say, all three of them are lucky to be alive.