Veteran, 76, rescued from the desert after four days reveals last resort action that saved him

Published: 06:51, 24 April 2026 | Updated: 06:59, 24 April 2026 A Vietnam veteran who survived several days lost in the Arizona desert revealed he used his last bit of energy to reach higher ground, where he was finally able to make a desperate text for help. Mark Eric Young, 76, was reported missing after he failed to show up for a family dinner last week, a day after he had set out on a solo camping trip along Bloody Basin Road off Interstate 17, according to Arizona's Family. A faulty GPS left him stranded in rugged terrain, where he resorted to extreme survival measures - including drinking his own urine - while family and rescue crews searched for days.  He killed a rattlesnake when it tried to bite him, recited scripture to keep his spirits up and lit fires night after night to stay warm, according to ABC 15 News. It wasn't until day four, as he battled extreme dehydration and 'brain fog,' that Young made it to an area where his message for help was finally delivered to his son.  A helicopter circling the area spotted the veteran in a 'hard-to-reach' area north of the Valley, where rescuers hoisted him from a canyon and airlifted him to a hospital.  'I just burst into tears. I just burst into tears. And, you just, it’s just such a sense of relief, and it’s just overcome with emotion,' his daughter-in-law Lydia Young told AZ Family. Now, both authorities and Young say the single text message, along with the expansive search operation, proved critical in saving him from a tragic fate. Vietnam veteran Mark Eric Young, 76, survived four days lost in the Arizona desert before a text message for help finally delivered to his son Young set out on a trip along Bloody Basin Road off Interstate 17, where a faulty GPS left him stranded in rugged terrain and increasingly disoriented 'What they did for me - they don’t even know me,' Young told AZ Family after the dramatic rescue. 'I understand my family, but these guys are doing this for anybody,' he added. 'They do this because they love their jobs.' On April 16, Young - an Arizona native and experienced hiker - decided to extend his trip after attending a wedding in town, opting for a short solo camping excursion after his wife flew home. He set out in a rental car, driving deep into backcountry forest roads near Cordes Lakes, Yavapai County deputies said, according to AZ Family. From that point on, he was not heard from again.  Although Young was hiking terrain he had explored before, alarm bells sounded the following day when he failed to show up for a dinner in the Verde Valley, family members said.  The county’s forest patrol launched a search-and-rescue mission that night, but found no sign of the veteran. His car was later discovered the next morning on Forest Road 16, about 30 minutes from Black Canyon City. Authorities found several of his belongings inside the car, including his sleeping bag, though there was still no sign of Young.  A helicopter circling the area spotted the veteran in a 'hard-to-reach' area north of the Valley, where rescuers hoisted him from a canyon and airlifted him to a hospital It wasn't until day four, as he battled extreme dehydration and 'brain fog,' that Young made it to an area where his message for help went through The search-and-rescue effort expanded with assistance from Coconino and Maricopa County crews, along with a ranger helicopter from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Over three days, dozens searched the backcountry of Yavapai County, joined by a ranger with his horse and dogs, who trekked through difficult terrain and a steep canyon believed to be in Young’s path, according to the outlet. Young’s daughter-in-law said the hours of each day were excruciating as the family faced uncertainty about his fate, but they never gave up hope.  The first sign of hope came Monday, when searchers reported faint, distant calls for help, but the sound was far too difficult to track amid strong winds and canyon terrain.  Just after 1pm, the life-saving text message came through: Young had been found six miles from where his vehicle was located, conscious and alert.  As a Maricopa County helicopter lifted him to safety, authorities said Young was in good spirits and even cracked a few jokes before being airlifted to a Valley hospital.  He shared his plans to rest and recover at a Scottsdale resort before heading back to his home state, while also revealing the harrowing nights spent lost in the vast Arizona desert.  At night, surviving on almost nothing, Young relied on lighters he carried to start fires. While Young had explored the area before, alarm bells sounded the following day when he failed to show up for a dinner in the Verde Valley After his rescue, Young said he had to resort to extreme survival measures, including drinking his own urine 'I began to use my compass just to keep going north so that I would hit a power line, but I just never did,' Young told AZ Family. 'Each mountain that I climbed, there was another one,' he added to ABC. He said that while he prayed often and felt the prayers of family and friends, he knew by the third night he had to begin taking extreme measures to stay alive before help arrived.  'The third day I was on another mountaintop, and I knew that I had to drink my own urine to survive,' he told the outlet. The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office thanked its search-and-rescue volunteers, who had just come back from Seligman after several days without power in the town. 'To the Forest Patrol, the volunteer units, and the partner crews - Yavapai County salutes you,' the department shared in the statement, according to the outlet. 'Your dedication proved that in the face of the rugged Arizona backcountry, no one is left behind,' it added. Meanwhile, following his rescue, Young told family members he would never again set out on a solo trip.  Young said he killed a rattlesnake when it tried to bite him, recited scripture to keep his spirits up and lit fires night after night to stay warm Young's daughter-in-law said the family never gave up hope on finding their loved one He also shared words of wisdom he received from a first responder on the scene, the first being to pack a reflective sun visor, similar to those used on car windshields. Young added that, secondly, if someone finds themselves lost, they should place the reflective device in a tree and stay put so it can be spotted from a helicopter.  His children released a statement to ABC after their father's rescue, which read: 'This rescue was nothing short of a miracle, made possible by countless hours of service from so many.' 'While we are incredibly grateful that our dad survived, we are also deeply aware that the outcome could have been very different,' it added. 'This experience has reminded us that there are still so many good people in the world, people who give their time, their energy, and their hearts to serve others.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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