Hunter rescued after 4 days in Tulare County forest shares his story

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Moments of desperation filled the wilderness at the Sequoia National Park in Tulare County this week.

75-year-old Juan Duron Velasquez was lost for four days and four nights after separating from a friend on Sunday during a hunting trip.

Miraculously, Velasquez was found on Thursday morning by two friends, Ignacio Saldana Jr. and Manuel Ayala.

His face was sunburnt, his body was weak, and he was barely standing, but he was alive and mostly well.

"It's a miracle because it was him. It was God who allowed me to be found," said Velasquez.

During his time in the forest, long days with no food turned into cold nights with no shelter.

Juan was living off water from a nearby creek and sleeping under this rock.

He also managed to create a small fire by disarming his rifle, using its reflector to create heat from the sun and burning up his hunter's permit.

Manuel had spotted the smoke.

"When I was praying to God, please, you know, come. Give us a sign or something. Give us a good indication that smoke lit up that same day," recalled Ayala.

Saldana Jr., known to friends as Nacho, had flown back home from Mexico to help with the search efforts.

After hiking over ten miles, Ignacio finally found his friend at 7:30 am on Thursday.

"They yelled. They said, 'Juan, Juan.' I said, 'I'm over here." I was frustrated, but then I saw my two friends, Nacho and Manuel," recalled Velasquez

"So, the moment of connection with Juan at that moment just brought us to tears," added Saldana Jr. "I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to react. To be honest. It wasn't that I was losing hope, but I was running out of time to find him alive."

For Velasquez, he describes the moment as the best feeling in the world and an answered prayer.

"And I thank God. I thank God for the efforts and everything they risked."

After he was found, Juan was lifted by helicopter and transported to Sierra View Medical Center in Porterville.

He is currently in good spirits and recovering with his family beside him.

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