A 13-year-old Boy Scout with Asperger's syndrome survived for 37 hours in the wilderness by eating bugs and bark after being separated from his troop

• Garrett Hunter of Draper, Utah, was separated from his Boy Scout troop in the Wyoming wilderness on Saturday.
• Garrett, who has Asperger's syndrome, became separated from the group when he went off a trail to go to the bathroom.
• Searchers found him in good health about 10:15 p.m. Sunday after happening to camp near him for the night and calling out his name.

A 13-year-old boy who became separated from his Boy Scout group during a hiking trip in the Wyoming wilderness survived partly on bugs and tree bark for the nearly 37 hours he was alone.

Searchers found Garrett Hunter of Draper, Utah, in good health about 10:15 p.m. Sunday after happening to camp near him for the night and calling out his name, according to Sublette County sheriff's Sgt. Travis Bingham.

Rough terrain and darkness forced the group to camp overnight and wait until Monday morning to take the boy out of the mountainous Bridger Wilderness.

Garrett, who has Asperger's syndrome, became separated from other Boy Scouts and their leaders around 9:30 a.m. Saturday when he went off a trail to go to the bathroom, Bingham said. When he returned, the group was gone.

The group of about 20 boys and adults were on the way out from a weeklong, 50-mile (81-kilometer) backcountry hiking trip near Pinedale, Wyoming.

Police said they were concerned Garrett's Asperger's syndrome could have kept him from approaching anyone for help, according to ABC.

Garrett had a sleeping bag, a water filtration device, a little food and part of a tent. Not sure how long he might be lost, the boy ate ants and bark to preserve what little food he had.

"Of course I panicked," Garrett told KSL. "I had some weight on me, so I ditched my tent and some trash and went up the mountain."

He kept his backpack and sleeping back and used his water filter to drink stream water until he was located.

As time went on, Garrett feared that he would never see his family again.

"He didn't like bark so much, but the bugs weren't too bad," Bingham said after interviewing Garrett Monday. "He had trouble starting a fire with the fire starters staying lit. He improvised, using bug spray with his lighter even though his mom told him not to and did get a fire that one night."

Searchers, aided by dogs and a helicopter, scoured the rugged terrain Saturday afternoon and Sunday. The search was suspended about 7 p.m. Sunday, but one group of volunteers decided to camp near a lake that night.

The volunteers who found Garrett were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ward Garrett belonged to, KSL reported.

The boy was found on a ledge overlooking the lake where he had stopped to wait for rescuers, Bingham said.

"It was really great," Garrett told KSL of the rescue. "Like, hallelujah, I'm home free! … They were so happy to see me, like they said it was a miracle that they found me."

Authorities said he did everything right to survive, including staying in one place after initially hiking about a mile.

When asked if he had tips for anyone who might get lost in the future, Garrett said: "Have a map with you and a knife in case you get stuck."