Hiker, 70, Found Alive After Going for a Walk and Getting Lost in Sierra Nevada Wilderness for 5 Days

The disappearance of a 70-year-old hiker in the Sierra Nevada wilderness ended on a happy note, as the man was found alive after five days.

Warren Elliott, who went missing on Friday, July 19, was discovered on Wednesday, July 24, after local authorities received a text message from a fellow hiker around 8 a.m. local time, according to an update from the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities say that Elliot told them that on July 19, he went out for a walk "in an area he was familiar with," but when he tried to go back to the area he was camping at in Rubicon Springs, he "began walking in the wrong direction."

In order to survive, Elliott revealed that he drank the water from a nearby river “and found a handful of berries to eat.”

The Placer County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

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Speaking with local outlet KCRA-TV, Sgt. Sage Bourassa said he was happy that the outcome of the case. "It's fantastic," he said. "There was concerns that he would not survive this."

After he -

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was located safely, a CHP helicopter took him back to the command post where he was reunited with his family members who were very happy for his return — as were the 50-100 people who helped search for Elliott each day.

Elliott initially went missing after going out on the Rubicon Trail. According to the Placer County Sheriff's Office, he was helping with trail maintenance ahead of an upcoming Jeep Jamboree when he disappeared.

The department stated he arrived at the area as a passenger in his son's Jeep and "walked away as work was being done."

Described as a "Jeeper," the sheriff's office stated at the time that Elliott was last seen wearing a blue denim short-sleeved shirt and blue denim shorts.

According to El Dorado County's official website, the Rubicon Trail spans 22 miles from Georgetown to Lake Tahoe and has elevations ranging from approximately 5,400 to over 7,000 feet.

The website states that the Rubicon Trail is widely considered the "crown jewel of all off-highway trails" and was previously "revered as the most difficult, rated 10 on a scale of one to 10, due to its narrow passages, rocky climbs, and occasional mud hole."

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