GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Every one of Zain Waliany's footsteps leads to an adventure. His latest trek led him to Antigua, Guatemala, to hike the 13,000-plus foot El Volcán Acatenango. Waliany got separated from his friend on the way up. When he never made it back to base camp, his friend called for a search party and reported him missing.
"We went from being tourists and having such a wholesome vacation to me rolling off a cliff, being lost in the jungle," Waliany said. "That was a four-day and four-night trek. The odds of my survival were under 20 percent."
Waliany said after spraining his ankle going up the volcano, he fell 400 ft. off a cliff, which left him to fend for himself against the elements in a foreign country known to have dangerous and deadly animals. His cell phone died. He slept in caves and relied on rainwater to stay alive. He also found a dog, which he said helped guide him back to civilization.
"I should have died on impact. I believe in miracles for the reason that I fell through so many trees and vines that broke my fall," Waliany said. "The worst I got out of it was a bruised kidney and a hurt shoulder. That dog was an angel in disguise. Any time its ears spiked up, I realized we didn’t need to continue that way. We needed to go the other way.”
Waliany said he packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a couple of bananas that he shared with the dog while he was missing. Helicopters, drones, K-9s and local volunteers helped with the search and rescue mission while Waliany's family waited for a miracle nearly 4,000 miles away.
"They were ready to move mountains," Waliany said. "I had so many people in Guatemala, through charities, people were just investing their time. I have so much love and appreciation for all those people."
After four days of no contact, Waliany finally stumbled onto a farmer road while following what looked like rainwater runoff. He also ran into police. He said an officer got him to safety and assisted him with getting medical attention.
“I was just ecstatic to see people. I was talking to myself for four days," Waliany said. "I was ready, so ready to talk to someone. There are many things that could have gone sideways for me. It’s truly a miracle I made it out.”
Waliany recommends bringing an emergency survival kit, a knife and a lighter if going on an extensive hike. As for his next adventure, Waliany plans to fly to Japan to go snowboarding once he gets his passport back from his parents.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources also suggests a few tips for hikers, including to avoid hiking alone, staying on marked trails and wearing bright clothing to ensure maximum visibility.
"The world is a big place," Waliany said. "It's sad to stay in one spot and not experience everything else. That adventure changed my life. I had slight anxiety issues and other problems mentally. Obviously, being alone in an environment where all I had was myself and the dog with me, it put me to my bare necessities. There were a lot of moments where I’d just pray, take a leap of faith, and by God’s grace, I’m out here right now.”
