A Fremont man has been found alive after surviving more than a week alone in the Himalayas following a hiking injury. Now recovering in an Indian hospital, his family is asking for help to cover his growing medical expenses.
KRON4 interviewed Samuel Vengrinovich’s sister, Natasha, who shared details of her brother’s incredible survival story.
Samuel was discovered a week after he was reported missing. He was found collapsed near a Himalayan village — injured, weak, and malnourished, but alive.
“It makes me sad that he felt no one was looking for him, that he was alone, but of course, we were,” said Natasha.
According to Natasha, on June 6, Samuel was on a two-day hike with a friend. The friend turned back early, and Samuel continued alone, expecting to finish the trail about 40 minutes later. But he never made it back.
Two days later, his hiking partner reported him missing, triggering an intense search and rescue operation.
“He could see the helicopter, but it was just so far away,” Natasha recalled. “He saw trackers along the trail, but they were out of reach. He even saw a city in the distance and kept walking along a stream toward it. He pushed himself, encouraging himself every ten steps.”
Teams from India, Nepal, and Israel joined the search for Samuel, who holds dual citizenship with the U.S. and Israel and had been living in India for the past eight months.
Samuel later explained that he had suffered a severe fall, leaving him badly injured. Still, he refused to give up.
“His wrist is broken, his ankle is fractured, he has bruises on his knee and forearm, and his nose is fractured. He survived nine days without food or water, eating insects along the way,” Natasha said.
While his loved ones are deeply relieved he was found, Samuel is now facing a long recovery.
“We’re still hurting, and I’m not going to be happy until he’s in my arms,” Natasha said.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his medical bills. So far, it has raised more than $66,000.
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