Bradley survived by hiding among rocks to escape cold winds.
By Raif Karerat
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A 10-year-old boy who disappeared while hiking with family has been found alive more than 24 hours after he got lost while foraging near a remote mountain lake in eastern Utah, authorities said Monday.
Malachi Bradley survived by hiding among rocks in order to shield himself against the brisk winds, which dropped temperatures down to the upper 30s overnight.
“There’s just a ton of giant rocks, so I hid between four of them so the wind wouldn’t hit me too much,” Malachi told reporters late Monday afternoon, according to NBC News.
The boy wrapped his T-shirt around his legs and huddled in his jacket to keep warm in the remote area near the Wyoming border, reported Fox News.
Malachi was hiking with his family near Paul Lake when they hiked about three miles to go fishing Sunday morning, authorities said Monday. But then Malachi walked away to forage for wild mushrooms to cook with a fish he’d caught about 10:30 a.m. local time.
When he didn’t return after about 30 minutes, his apprehensive father hiked back to the car at Paradise Park Campground in Ashley National Forest, drove to an area with cellphone reception and called emergency services. The search was initiated on Sunday and resumed Monday morning after an overnight suspension.
Malachi was spotted by a rescue plane Monday afternoon and picked up by a police helicopter after personnel from neighboring counties as well as the Ute Native American Tribe joined the search for the boy. Uintah County Sheriff Vance Norton said.
An aunt, Lori Matthews, told local news station KSL that Malachi’s father has taught his son survival skills and that the boy was well-suited to protecting himself in the wilderness.
“He’s actually in great shape,” Norton stated. “We’re just happy we got him when we did.”