Lost in the wilderness: 72-year-old man survives 19 days By Ben Brumfield Rating: **** I found this article to be a riveting documentation of the strength of a man with the will to survive. 72 year old Gene Penaflor was lost in the wilderness for nearly 3 weeks after falling down and hitting his head on a rock during a camping trip. Him and his hunting partner had separated from each other to flank a deer. They were going to meet up at the end of a ridge but Penaflor never showed up. A search party went out looking for him but there were several severe snow storms while he was out in the wilderness that prevented the search party from continuing the search. Penaflor used his survival knowledge to survive. He drank from a nearby stream and ate lizards, and frogs and algae. He lit fires and covered himself in try grass and leaves to stay warm in the harsh conditions that reached -25 degrees Fahrenheit. He was finally rescued by a group of hunters after 19 days. I would consider this feat to be extraordinary even if it was performed by a younger person but to do what he did at age 72 is absolutely inspiring. This article has made me think about what I would do in such a survival situation. I never really gave it much thought until now. The reality of it really hit me that something like this can randomly happen at any time and you’re forced to fight for your life in the wild and survive. I learned about some techniques that I can use to survive and some methods to stay warm in harsh conditions which I may face here in Canada. This story really inspired me because I think it really showed that if a man has the will and the determination to survive he can even at age 72. Even when he was tired and scared he continued to fight for survival and never gave up. http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/14/us/california-missing-man/