Hunter survives 4 days alone in Idaho with a broken leg
A bow-hunting trip in the Idaho wilderness turned into a test of faith for one man, who survived four days with a broken leg before help arrived.
John Sain, 50, was miles from any trails when his foot got lodged between two logs last Thursday, snapping the bones in his right leg. The pain was unbearable.
"I honestly didn't think I was going to make it," Sain told NBC affiliate KTVB.
With no cell phone service, Sain began weighing his options.
""Contemplated on just ending it right there," he told the station.
The hunter prepared his goodbyes. But as he wrote farewell letters to his wife and two children, he found the motivation to persevere.
"There was no way. There was no way," he said. "I was going to make it."
Using two branches and tattered cloth, he fashioned a splint for his broken leg, and began to crawl. Armed with his survival kit that he had packed for the hunting trip, a little bit of food, and a water purifier, he dragged himself through the rugged terrain. When night fell, he lit a fire to keep warm.
After the fourth day, dehydrated and barely able to tolerate any more pain, he said, "I was done."
That afternoon, a welcome sight appeared: Two men on motorcycles found Sain.
Sain is now recovering in a Boise hospital from leg surgery, surrounded by his family. He said prayer kept him going during his ordeal.
"Thank God," he said. "I'm a faithful man. I prayed the whole time. It was definitely my fuel."
Elizabeth Chuck