An American veteran of the Vietnam War survives five days in the wild… by drinking his urine

Mark Eric Young Disappears for Several Days in Arizona Wilderness

• Mark Eric Young disappeared for several days, wandering in the hostile Arizona wilderness, according to American media reports.
• Without water, the 76-year-old former US soldier was forced to drink his urine to avoid dehydration.

In the midst of recovering after returning from hell, Mark Eric Young spent five days in the wild, in a hostile environment in Verde Valley, Arizona. After attending a wedding, he chose to go on a solo hike in the region. On April 16, he went to Bloody Basin and started walking, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. But “I made a mistake, I got lost,” he told the New York Post and 12News. The situation quickly turned into the most terrifying mission of his life, which is saying a lot for this former soldier who served twice in Vietnam. “I have never gone five days without water,” he said.

The Threat of Dehydration and a Rattlesnake

The American veteran had to deal with limited provisions and equipment – including a military compass, water bottles, lighters, and water purification tablets. On the third day of his ordeal, he had to take drastic measures to avoid dying of thirst. “It was on the third day that I had to drink my own urine,” he told our colleagues. “So I urinated in my bottle and drank it, because I knew I had to do it to survive,” he recounted.

The septuagenarian was also attacked by a rattlesnake. Once again, he had to show ingenuity and courage to survive. “His strike didn’t hit its mark, and I then stoned it to death,” he commented calmly.

More than his resilience and resourcefulness, it was faith that allowed Mark Eric Young to persevere. “What helped me were different passages from scripture and different memories of situations where I faced death in my life, and simply not feeling that this was how I was supposed to die, you see, by giving up completely,” he explained.

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Finally, investigators, alerted by concerned relatives who hadn’t seen the father of seven return, managed to locate the vehicle and trace the 76-year-old man. Found safe and sound on Monday, April 20, he was airlifted to the hospital where he was treated for dehydration. Fortunately, he did not suffer any serious injuries.