A man who went missing for five days in Joshua Tree National Park was able to survive by eating cactus and…*deep breath*…drinking his own urine until he was found by rescuers last week.
Paul Hanks drove from his home in Santee to Joshua Tree on March 11 where he planned to hike to celebrate his 54th birthday.
“I went to Joshua Tree for just a little half-of-a-day excursion,” Hanks told 10 News. “I slipped (while hiking on rocks). Having not slipped in 45 years, it was an instant shock.”
Seriously injured, Hanks moved to a tree and waited for someone to rescue him and, when no one showed up, resorted to doing the unthinkable.
“By the very first night, I was drinking my own urine,” Hanks told CBS 8. “I had drank all the water in my bottle. I drank the urine in my bottle.”
Hanks then survived the next three days by drinking rainwater and eating cactus until he was rescued on March 15.
He is currently recovering from his injuries at the hospital.
