THRILL-SEEKER WHO WAS IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS.
GREAT OUTDOORS. >> HER SURVIVAL STORY IS NOTHING
SHORT OF INCREDIBLE.
NEW ZEALAND NATIVE AND TRAVEL
WRITER, CLAIRE NELSON, HAS
ALWAYS LOVED THE OUTDOORS.
>> WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME
OUTSIDE.
OUTSIDE. THAT’S WHAT YOU DO IN
NEW ZEALAND.
NEW ZEALAND. YOU’RE OUTSIDE A LOT.
IN THE WATER A LOT.
>> Reporter: THIS PAST MAY,
CLAIRE WAS HOUSE SITTING NEAR
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK.
>> YOU GET INCREDIBLE, ALMOST
MAGICAL LOOKING BOULDER STACKS.
YOU GET DIFFERENT VIEWS AND
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. JUST A SENSE THAT YOU ARE
SOMEWHERE QUITE REMOVED FROM
YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE.
>> Reporter: ON MAY 22nd, CLAIRE
SET OUT ON HER BIGGEST HIKE, THE
LAS PALMS OASIS TRAIL.
>> I KEPT THINKING, I’M SO HAPPY
TO BE HERE.
>> Reporter: ROUGHLY TWO MILES
INTO HER JOURNEY, SOMETHING WENT
HORRIBLY WRONG.
HORRIBLY WRONG. >> I WAS TESTING MY FOOTING,
DRESS
DRESS PRESSING INTO THE ROCK GOING,
OKAY.
OKAY. THERE’S FOOTHOLDS I CAN USE
HERE.
HERE. AS SOON AS I PUT WEIGHT ON MY
FOOT, I STARTED TO SLIP.
>> Reporter: CLAIRE FELL 15 FEET
TO THE GROUND, SHATTERING HER
PELVIS, SPRAINING HER ANKLE AND
BREAKING HER FOOT.
ALMOST COMPLETELY IMPOSSIBLE,
SHE CALLED FOR HELP.
>> I REACHED IN MY DAGBAG FOR MY
PHONE, AND DIALED 911, NO
SIGNAL.
SIGNAL. >> Reporter: STRANDED AND ALONE.
CLAIRE DOCUMENTED HER SURVIVAL.
>> I MIGHT DIE HERE.
I’M REALLY SCARED IF THAT’S THE
CASE.
CASE. JUST THINK OF ALL OF YOU GUYS,
MY FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY.
AND I’D DO ANYTHING TO SEE YOU
GUYS.
GUYS. >> Reporter: AFTER SEVERAL DAYS
AND NO SIGNS OF HELP, CLAIRE’S
SUPPLIES WERE RUNNING LOW,
FORCING HER TO GET DRASTIC.
>> I HAD THIS BOTTLE FULL OF
LIQUID.
LIQUID. AND I JUST THOUGHT, I’M GOING TO
HAVE TO START DRINKING URINE.
>> Reporter: AS THE DAYS PASSED,
CLAIRE WASN’T SURE SHE WOULD
MAKE IT.
MAKE IT. >> I FELT COMPLETELY ALONE.
THAT’S THE POINT WHERE I STARTED
TO GIVE UP OR FELT IT WAS A
STRUGGLE TO KEEP GOING.
>> WE’RE GLAD SHE DIDN’T GIVE
UP.
UP. CLAIRE NELSON JOINS US NOW.
WHAT IS IT LIKE TO SEE THAT
STORY?
STORY? >> I STILL FEEL LIKE I’M
WATCHING SOMEBODY ELSE.
I STILL FEEL DETACHED FROM IT.
IT’S WEIRD TO THINK THAT I WENT
THROUGH THAT AND NOW, I’M
SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT IT.
YEAH.
YEAH. I THINK I GOT A BIT OF
PROCESSING TO DO.
>> YOU MADE THE DECISION TO
RECORD THIS ORDEAL.
WHAT WAS YOUR MOTIVATION FOR
THAT?
THAT? WAS IT TO LEAVE A RECORD?
WERE YOU -- I MEAN, I AM JUST
TRYING TO PUT YOURSELF IN THIS
SITUATION.
SITUATION. I’M NOT SURE IF I COULD HAVE
DONE THAT.
DONE THAT. >> IT’S FUNNY.
IT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT CAME
TO ME.
TO ME. I SPENT QUITE A LONG TIME WITH
MY PHONE IN MY HAND, TRYING TO
GET THROUGH -- GET SOME SIGNAL
OR SOMETHING.
OR SOMETHING. WHEN I REALIZED IT WAS FUTILE,
IT CAME TO ME, RECORD SOMETHING.
JUST LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR MY
FAMILY, SO IF ANYBODY FOUND IT,
THEY KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.
AND FROM THERE, I REALIZED THAT
I -- I HAVE A CAMERA.
AND THAT’S A BETTER USE OF THE
BATTERY.
BATTERY. AND STARTED TO LEAVE MORE
UPDATES.
UPDATES. >> WHAT DID YOU HAVE?
YOU HAD THAT WALKING STICK.
>> I HAD THIS WALKING STICK,
WHICH, IT’S MY FRIEND’S WALKING
STICK.
STICK. WHEN THEY WERE SAYING XWOOB INGI
AND I WAS LOOKING AFTER THEIR
HOUSE, HE SAID, YOU SHOULD TAKE
THE STICK WHEN YOU GO HIKING.
AND I GOT IN THE CAR WITHOUT IT.
I WAS ABOUT TO PULL OUT OF THE
DRIVEWAY AND SOMETHING CAME TO
ME AND I SAID, I WILL TAKE IT.
I WENT BACK TO THE HOUSE AND
GRABBED IT.
GRABBED IT. IF I HADN’T DONE THAT, I DON’T
KNOW IF I WOULD BE HERE RIGHT
NOW.
NOW. >> HOW DID YOU USE THE STICK?
>> ANYTHING I HAD TO REACH
EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND ME.
>> YOU COULDN’T MOVE.
>> I COULDN’T MOVE.
I COULDN’T SO MUCH AS SIT UP.
SO, I -- THE GREATEST THING I
USED IT FOR, I CREATED A SUN
SHADE WITH THAT.
I GRABBED ANOTHER STICK.
AND I TOOK MY HAIR BAND OUT.
AND I MADE A CROSS SHAPE.
>> WHERE DID YOU GET THE WITS TO
KNOW HOW TO DO THAT?
>> I DON’T KNOW.
BACK HOME, WE CALL IT KIWI
INGENUITY.
INGENUITY. THE HEAT WAS SO INTENSE, I HAD
TO GET IT OFF MY FACE.
>> YOU’RE OUT IN THE WILDERNESS,
FOUR DAYS, THREE NIGHTS.
AT NIGHT, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE
MORE FRIGHTENING IN A SENSE
BECAUSE YOU CAN’T SEE ANYTHING.
BUT I’M SURE YOU CAN HEAR STUFF
AROUND YOU.
AROUND YOU. >> YOU KNOW, THE FIRST NIGHT WAS
TERRIFYING.
TERRIFYING. ESPECIALLY, WHEN THE SUN STARTED
TO GO DOWN AND THE REALIZATION I
WAS GOING TO BE OUT THERE AT
NIGHT.
NIGHT. YOU KNOW, YOU’RE ALREADY
VULNERABLE ENOUGH BEING STUCK ON
YOUR BACK.
YOUR BACK. WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE ANYTHING, I
LAY AWAKE THE WHOLE NIGHT,
CONVINCED I WAS SEEING SNAKES
EVERYWHERE.
EVERYWHERE. AND I WOULD SHINE MY TORCH AND
REALIZE THERE IS NOTHING THERE.
>> HOW DID YOU GET RESCUED?
>> MY FRIENDS NOTICED I WAS
QUIET ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
THAT WAS THE FIRST SIGNAL
SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT.
MY FRIENDS OVERSEAS GOT FRIENDS
TO CHECK ON ME AT THE HOUSE.
REALIZED THE CAR WASN’T THERE.
THEY FOUND THE PIECE OF PAPER I
HAD WRITTEN OUT MY PLAN OF WHICH
HIKES I WAS GOING TO DO WHICH
DAY.
DAY. AND THEY REALIZED I WAS PLANNING
TO DO THE LAS PALMS OASIS HIKE.
THEY REALIZED I HAD BEEN OUT
THERE FOR FOUR DAYS.
>> THEY DIDN’T SEE YOU AT FIRST.
>> NO.
>> NO. THE RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF
AVIATION GUYS GOT OUT THERE WITH
THE HELICOPTER.
THE HELICOPTER. I WAS DRIFTING IN AND OUT OF
CONSCIOUSNESS AT THIS POINT.
I COULDN’T EVEN HOLD UP MY SUN
SHADE.
SHADE. I HAD IT DRAPED OVER ME.
I JUST HEARD THIS VOICE, IT
SNAPPED ME BACK INTO
CONSCIOUSNESS, WHICH, WE’RE
LOOKING FOR A MISSING HIKER.
I THOUGHT, OH, MY GOSH.
THEY MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR ME.
THEN, I COULDN’T SEE THE
HOSPITAL,
HOSPITAL, HELICOPTER, I COULD JUST HEAR
IT.
IT. >> WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU
WOULD BE OKAY?
>> THEY CAME AROUND TWICE AND
DISAPPEARED AGAIN.
DISAPPEARED AGAIN. >> IT MUST HAVE BEEN AGONIZING.
>> THE THIRD TIME THEY CAME BACK
AROUND AND I PUT MY HAT ON TOP
OF MY SUN UMBRELLA.
AND I HEAR A VOICE SAY, WE SEE
YOU.
YOU. WE’RE GOING TO COME AND GET YOU.
AND I COLLAPSED IN THIS MOMENT
OF COMPLETE RELIEF.
>> WE’RE HAPPY YOU’RE HERE AND