Ohio Man Lost for Days on Mountain Trail Survives on Berries and Bees

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He was only treated for dehydration.

An Ohio man who was found days after he went missing on Mt. St. Helens survived by eating berries and bees, authorities said.

Matthew B. Matheny, 40, of Warren, Ohio, was located Wednesday after getting lost on unfamiliar terrain on the Washington state mountain on Aug. 9.

Matheny is reportedly in good condition and did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

He stayed overnight at a local hospital to be treated for dehydration, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

“He was in the free forest at this point. He lost the trail, he fell down the steep back,” Paul Pepper, a rescue team member, told the New York Post.

Matheny told authorities that berries and bees he ate saved his life.

The hiker planned to explore the Blue Lake Trail on the day he disappeared. When he didn’t return, his family called police.

Authorities found his vehicle at the head of the trail on Saturday. 

Authorities spent hours searching for Matheny using helicopters, drones and tracking dogs. They eventually narrowed the search down a one-mile radius after checking Matheny’s cellphone signals. 

Matheny was found by authorities on a totally separate trail. 

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