Hiker drank sweat, rain to survive in mountains

HONOLULU — A Honolulu hiker says he drank sweat and rainwater wrung from his clothes into a bottle during seven days in the mountains.

Mike Bowen and his small dog, Marley, set out on the hike on March 13 and planned to return Sunday, but he encountered problems, including heavy rain, fierce winds, deep mud and a lost tent.

Bowen got lost hiking and walked far more than the 20-mile Koolau (koh-OHL’-ow) Summit Trail and was running out of food and water. He communicated via text messages with a friend who called the fire department for help.

Bowen told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that when a helicopter arrived, he asked to be pointed to a ridge to go down so he could hike out himself. But rescuers persuaded him to fly out.