How Motorcycle Crash Victim Survived in the Wilderness for Five Days Before Rescue

A motorcycle crash victim has been found “in bad shape” but still alive after spending five days stranded in the Idaho Mountains, and he revealed to authorities the unbelievable way he was able to survive.

A Facebook post from the Idaho County Sheriff's Office (ICSD) confirmed that Zachary DeMoss, 24, was rescued by authorities on August 16 after having been reported missing on August 12.

DeMoss was last seen riding a 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle around milepost 135 on Highway 12. On August 11 at around 4:30 p.m., two of DeMoss’ friends arrived at the milepost where they were to meet him. After he didn’t arrive, they frantically searched the area for nearly 12 hours before calling off their operation around 4 a.m. the next day.

A few hours later, the ICSD took up the search using drones and a helicopter to assist. DeMoss was located near his bike on August 16, several days after search efforts had been scaled back. Though he was badly injured, DeMoss was “alert and conscious” enough to share with investigators how he managed to survive for five days in the wilderness.

“He had been drinking water out of the creek,” the ICSD noted simply in their statement.

While reports vary as to how long humans can survive consuming only water, Healthline states that “with water only, but no food, survival time may extend up to two to three months.” Outdoor Life stated that, on average, humans will likely last closer to three or four weeks without food in a survival scenario.

A family friend told KTVB that DeMoss “was tough enough to hold out for five days on that mountain while he’d seen people walking by, trying to holler at them.”

“My son is just one of those men that have true grit," DeMoss’ mother, Ruth Rickenbacher, wrote on Facebook. However, she revealed that her son has a long way to go before healing.

"It's like he was shaken like a rag doll," she said, noting that he endured broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and may need to have surgery on one of his shoulders. "Rehab is going to be long-term for now. He is healing so keep praying it's working."