A Korean American woman, who got lost while hiking in a Texas national park and was missing for more than a week, has shared her story on TikTok.
Christy Perry, 25, has been sharing photos of her missing days on social media, garnering more than 1.4 million video views and over 2,600 comments.
Perry, who lives in Houston, reportedly rented a car in Midland and drove toward the national park on November 9. However, she failed to show up at her reserved Chisos Basin Campground and had not been heard from since then. Her car was found at the entrance to the Lost Mine Trail, but there was no trace of her.
After Perry’s family reported her missing on November 15, the park, along with Border Patrol, dog teams, and two helicopters, responded to the scene. At one point, the park’s Lost Mine Trail was closed.
Eight days after her disappearance, Perry was found 0.4 miles down the Lost Mine Trail from where she went missing. “At the time of her rescue, she was alert and talking,” the park stated.
Perry reportedly had no food at the time of her disappearance but survived by drinking rainwater, as it had been raining. “The park was foggy and rainy on the day of my disappearance, and I slipped while hiking and got stranded,” Perry recounted.
“I survived for eight days by drinking only water because I was afraid to eat berries and mushrooms found on the ground or trees. When it rained hard, I slept under a big rock,” she added.
On Perry’s TikTok, she expressed her gratitude: “But seriously, I am so grateful to be alive and healthy. I’m so thankful for NPS and their search efforts, along with the hospital staff for their care. I am joyfully overwhelmed by so many loved ones who’ve reached out to me.”
BY YEJIN KIM, JUNHAN PARK [kim.yejin3@koreadaily.com]
