In the fantasy novel “Lord of The Rings”, JRR Tolkien wrote, “Not all who wander are lost”.
But for one treasure hunter who set out on his own epic adventure to find 10,000lbs of lost gold, instead found himself wandering a forest, quite lost, actually.
With no gold in sight, Brent Lendriet had become stranded deep in the forest of Grande Valley in California.
Lendriet, 65, was visiting the area with his girlfriend last month, and decided to go treasure hunting on his own, crossing through a closed winter gate, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
“Suddenly, my truck is up to the doors in water,” Lendriet said. “So, I jump out into this ice-cold water, run around to the front of my truck … It’s got a winch and I pull the winch cable out and wrap it around a tree and pull myself out.”
I’ve taken that road many times — you need a special vehicle to do it — and normally, I can get through it.”
But after ignoring a second gate that was marked closed by the U.S. Forest Service because of flooding conditions, Lendriet’s car became officially stuck.
A Phoenix man is thankful to be alive after being stranded in the wilderness for four days in the California backcountry. Photo by Brent Lendriet
As the first day of his misadventure began, Lendriet became cold and wasn’t able to build a fire because of all the rain that had battered the area, he said.
“I peeled off my clothing because I was freezing to death and threw them in the back of my truck, and I had some dry clothing I put on,” Lendriet said. “The next morning, all of my clothing [was] frozen solid like ice cubes.”
Miraculously, Lendriet was able to get a text message to his girlfriend who then contacted police. But it took deputies from the Lockwood Valley Sheriff’s Station four days of searching to find him.
During his push to find the area he wanted to search for the gold, Lendriet had wandered more than 10 miles from the highway.
I had a flashlight with a strobe on it and it’s getting dark and as they’re coming back, I’m strobing them. I said, ‘Look, man, I’m so sorry. I made a really bad choice in judgment here,'” said Lendriet.
Officers said that Lendriet had been without food or water for most of his time. Lendriet said he had managed to find a few hamburgers that were frozen in his truck as well as a can of soup.
A Phoenix man is thankful to be alive after being stranded in the wilderness for four days in the California backcountry. Photo from Youtube
As for the gold, Lendriet admits that it was a foolish idea to search for it – all based on a family story of buried gold worth $300 million.
“I have basic skills for surviving in the wilderness,” he said. “I was just not prepared for what I endured.”
Lendriet has a warning for others about repeating what he did – no matter your skill level or what you’re driving, nature can still get the best of you.
Watch below for a look at Lendriet’s lucky rescue!
