- An 80-year-old hiker in the UK spent three nights "wild camping" after going missing in a heavy hailstorm, then returned to a pub where his family was holding a press conference about his disappearance.
- Harry Harvey said he was well equipped to camp out for those nights, and his only complaint was that he was low on food and had "a hell of an appetite."
- The Swaledale Mountain
Rescue Team said roughly 100 rescuers assisted in the three-day search for Harvey. - "It's been an absolute and total nightmare," Harvey's daughter-in-law told reporters. "He's had a blast, and we've had a nightmare."
An 80-year-old hiker in northern
Harry Harvey told reporters he had "three really good wild camping nights," unaware that search parties were out looking for him and growing increasingly worried they wouldn't find him alive.
But after the third night, Harvey flagged down a passing wildlife photographer and got a ride to the nearby Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale, North Yorkshire, where his family was preparing to stage the press conference. Harvey had ended up roughly 6 miles from where he was last spotted, BBC News reported.
Video posted by the Tan Hill Inn and ITV News showed rescuers converging on Harvey near an ambulance outside the pub, while his son and his daughter-in-law rushed to hug him.
When a reporter asked Harvey about all the attention he received at the pub, Harvey joked that he wished he'd returned more discreetly.
"If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come back," he said. "Not here. I would've found some other way of getting home to avoid all this. I could do without this."
Harvey's daughter-in-law said he 'had a blast' while his family 'had a nightmare'
The Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team said in a statement that Harvey was "safe and well" after his arrival, adding that 100 rescuers assisted in the three-day search.
Harvey's son told reporters that Harvey was an "experienced" hiker who was well prepared but that he and his wife were worried sick while Harvey was missing.
Harvey said that he was equipped with "all the kit I needed" and that he was able to quickly pivot to "plan B" when he realized he was lost and would need to find a safe place to set up his tent. He said his only complaint from the ordeal was that he was low on food.
"I've got a hell of an appetite," he said. "When I get hungry, I've got to get something to eat or I can't go on."
Harvey's daughter-in-law told reporters that while Harvey may have had an adventure, his family was less than amused.
"It's been an absolute and total nightmare," she said. "He's had a blast, and we've had a nightmare."
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