There wasaBritishpilot who crash-landed in the Sahara Desert and survived after walking 224 kilometers in 11 days. The secret was traveling at night and resting during the day. Had he walked during the daytime, his water supply would have been nowhere near enough. In 1959,an
American
named Veriel, along with his wife Laura and their six children, went on a desert hike. Instead of using well-traveled roads, they took a risky detour onto a lesser path. They hadn’t informed anyone of their destination. Just 600 meters into the drive, the road disappeared. While trying to turn, Veriel hit a sharp-edged rock, damaging the radiator and causing water to leak. After 16 kilometers, the radiator water began to boil. The family had no drinking water or food—only a small amount of coolant-contaminated water left in the radiator, which they drank in small shared sips. Then, the clear-headed Laura took a series of measures: she had the children rest in the car’s shadow; she and her husband cut two blankets into strips to spell out “SOS”; they removed the rearview mirror to use sunlight reflection to signal passing planes; they soaked a spare tire in oil to use as a ready-to-light distress beacon; they placed four tire covers on the ground to collect morning dew; during the day, they applied lipstick to blisters on the lips and skin of the husband and children; realizing the desert surface was a few centimeters cooler underneath, they buried the children in the sand, covering their faces, and did the same to themselves; they broke off a nearby branch, peeled off the bark, and sucked the sap; during the peak heat of noon when the children’s faces blistered, the couple collected urine and used it with rags to cool the children’s faces; the children ate a box of non-toxic starch paste; when no water could be found, they cut open cacti, roasted them over fire, and sucked the water droplets to quench thirst. Three days later, a rescue team spotted their SOS signals, and they were finally saved.
Experts not only teach methods to preserve bodily water but also how to find underground water sources in places that appear completely dry. Many who narrowly escaped death in the desert discovered that various types of cacti act as natural reservoirs. One American pilot recalled after his rescue: “After tasting many types of cacti, I found that the bottle-shaped ones contain the most water—you just need to squeeze them for a refreshing drink.” A type of cactus in the desert is said to yield up to 4 liters of water at once. Many people have died of thirst just inches away from a cactus’s shade. Additionally, the blood of animals and the fluids of insects can also serve to quench thirst.
To survive in the desert, there are these six principles:
One: Drink plenty of water, carry enough water, and learn all possible methods of finding water;
Two: Travel at night and rest during the day—never move under scorching sunlight;
Three: Always inform others of your travel route and planned departure and arrival dates before setting out;
Four: Leave markers along the way to help rescuers locate you;