Biker survives in Idaho wilderness for five days by drinking creek water after crash

Taylor Galgano and Zoe Sottile, CNN

(CNN) — The leather overgarment Zachary DeMoss was wearing erstwhile he sewage into a motorcycle mishap successful Idaho mightiness person saved his life.

It’s not truthful overmuch that nan overgarment protected him during nan crash. Instead, it came successful useful during nan days afterward, arsenic nan 24-year-old was mislaid successful nan wilderness and struggling to survive.

Too anemic from his injuries to get h2o for himself anymore and hardly capable to move, he dipped nan overgarment successful a adjacent creek and past drank h2o retired of nan overgarment pocket, he told CNN.

DeMoss, 24, of Missoula, Montana, spent a full of 5 days stranded successful nan mountainous Idaho wilderness aft nan mishap earlier he was rescued by a family friend.

“I americium truthful happy and thankful to beryllium alive. I struggled truthful overmuch pinch symptom and decease successful nan woods,” he told CNN. “But I conscionable kept telling myself it was either a full lotta symptom aliases a small spot of death, and I wasn’t going to take death.”

DeMoss and his black 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle went missing connected August 12 connected Highway 12 in Idaho, according to nan Idaho County Sheriff’s office. He had been riding pinch 2 different bikers and grounded to return to their gathering spot.

Authorities teamed up pinch DeMoss’ family and friends to hunt a 99-mile agelong nearby, but past announced they would be “downsizing their search” over nan coming days connected August 15.

One authorities complete successful Oregon, DeMoss’ family friend Greg Common, 45, decided to return matters into his ain hands aft proceeding authorities were downsizing nan search.

“I called my woman from activity and said, ‘We’re going.’ And my woman began charging each my worldly up and everything and getting each my cogwheel fresh while I drove location from work. Then we headed up nan mountain,” Common said.

DeMoss and Common’s oldest boy became adjacent friends aft gathering successful precocious schoolhouse erstwhile nan Commons lived successful Montana.

Common thought location was a chance he could find DeMoss because he besides rides motorcycles and knew nan area – and he was right.

But astatine first, he didn’t moreover admit his family friend.

“I had been searching. You know, I’d done 30 miles nan time before. I did 5 miles already that morning, and past I was astir a mile up, truthful sixth mile of nan day,” said Common. “I look complete and I spot this feline laying down by nan creek. I didn’t moreover admit him… truthful I’m hollering astatine him. And he turns towards maine and he says, ‘Man, I’ve been successful a wreck. I’m successful a bad way.’ And past I realize, I’m talking to Zach!”

DeMoss told CNN he swerved to debar hitting a cervid and past fundamentally flew 40 feet complete a creek connected his motorcycle into a grassy distant area, separated from his bike.

“It happened really accelerated but I retrieve soaring done nan aerial earlier I impacted,” he recalled.

“I managed to get h2o nan first 2 days earlier I collapsed and was incapable to move overmuch anymore contempt my champion efforts to crawl backmost to nan creek,” DeMoss said.

DeMoss had a torch for starting campfires packed successful his motorcycle, which could’ve helped personification find him if he had been person to his bike, according to Common.

‘You don’t deliberation you’re going to find them alive’

For Common, DeMoss’ endurance is simply a testament to his friend’s determination and willpower.

“The sheer will that it must person taken to past 5 days for illustration that. I can’t moreover imagine,” Common said. “That boy lived 5 days connected that mountain.”

He said arsenic soon arsenic DeMoss heard his voice, he instantly recognized nan older man.

“He’s for illustration ‘Oh, man, convey God,’” Common said, “And truthful literally, he’s trying to hug me. He’s like, ‘I emotion you, man.’ And each he tin move is an limb and he tin move his head. The remainder of him is beautiful banged up.”

He described experiencing “a batch of elation” aft uncovering DeMoss. “After 5 days erstwhile someone’s missing, successful nan state for illustration that, you don’t deliberation you’re going to find them alive.”

Common said he discovered DeMoss successful a acheronian spread successful a beautiful overgrown, forested and distant area. He was recovered connected nan Lost Creek Campground, adjacent milepost 136 connected Highway 12, according to nan sheriff’s office.

Common instantly utilized his Garmin inReach instrumentality to make an SOS call, while his woman flagged down personification successful a pickup motortruck who contacted a DOT typical down nan road. The DOT typical sewage successful touch pinch emergency services, who were already connected nan measurement owed to nan SOS call.

Around 30 minutes later, a Life Flight chopper was connected nan ground, according to Common.

“I wasn’t going to time off him connected nan mountain,” he said.

DeMoss is still recovering from his injuries. He precocious moved from intensive attraction to a regular infirmary room, he told CNN.

Ruth Rickenbacher, DeMoss’ mother, described his injuries in a Facebook post, including a partially collapsed lung, a surgery hip, and surgery ribs.

“It’s for illustration he was shaken for illustration a rag doll,” she wrote.

His family is besides hoping to raise money for his “long and costly recovery” done a verified GoFundMe.