Hiker records remarkable 40-hour survival story after serious fall at Joshua Tree National Park

An injured hiker who was stranded for nearly two days in the scorching heat in Joshua Tree National Park is sharing his story.

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Thursday, July 23, 2020
Injured hiker shares survival story after fall at Joshua Tree National Park
An injured hiker who was stranded for nearly two days in the scorching heat in Joshua Tree National Park is sharing his story.

JOSHUA TREE, Calif. -- An injured hiker who was stranded for nearly two days in the scorching heat in Joshua Tree National Park is sharing his story.

"Help! Help!" Robert Ringo, 67, can be heard screaming during a video of his desperate calls for assistance while unable to move after a serious fall.

"I landed right on my left hip. I can't move it for the pain. I can't move myself," Ringo said in the video.

The avid hiker and hunter was planning on a short walk, equipped with just two liters of water and his cell phone -- but no cell service.

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"Between the dehydration and the heat stroke and heat exhaustion, I had no idea that I was going to spend 40 hours on my back," he recalled.

Time was running out for Ringo, who was stuck in the dangerous summer heat.

"It's about 4:30, 4:20 on Thursday afternoon. I'm up in -- well, if you get this or find this something, I don't know.

Not knowing if he would survive, Ringo began to record himself.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to get up, but I'm sure they'll be out looking for me tonight," Ringo says in the video which aired on ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday. "This might be the last episode."

But Ringo did something before he left for his walk that may have saved his life.

"Just before I got out of the car, I always do this, I share my location with Ryan," he said.

Ringo's son, Ryan, sounded the alarm and contacted officials.

"I looked and it showed his last location was in Joshua Tree, and when I saw it, I recognized where it was," Ryan Ringo said.

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The family said more than 30 rescuers were out scouring the area.

Ringo said he never gave up hope, and now, he has a new hero.

"I don't know how many men can say their hero is their son," he said.

This wasn't Ringo's first near-death experience. He said he has been electrocuted and attacked by a shark.

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