Calif. man found in Polk County was missing for a week

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A California man missing in rural southwest Polk County was found dehydrated but alert after surviving for nearly a week by eating leaves and berries.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office reported that the 59-year-old was taken to a local hospital for treatment Monday and was described to be in “remarkably good spirits,” according to the Statesman Journal.

Peter Nestlerode of Palmdale, California, was in the area for his daughter’s wedding and went missing late on Aug. 26.

He was last heard from the morning of Aug. 27 when he called 911 but was not coherent.

At around 9 a.m. Monday, the sheriff’s office received a call about a man walking out of the woods, saying he was lost.

When deputies arrived, the property owner led them to Nestlerode, who was lying in the brush.