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On Sept. 28, Juan Velasquez was reminded that the lessons you teach others can sometimes save your own life down the road. Around 7 a.m. that Thursday, the 75-year-old hunter was rescued from the Sequoia National Forest after being lost on his own for more than four days. His rescuers were two close friends who\u2019d learned how to hunt from Velasquez when they were younger.<\/p>\n
\u201cI dreamt Ignacio and Manuel were the ones who could get me out,\u201d Velasquez told Fox 26 News<\/a>. \u201cI have known them for years. We\u2019ve gone hunting together. They\u2019re stubborn about hiking.\u201d<\/p>\n Fox 26 reports that Velasquez first went missing on Sept. 24. He strayed from the group when he killed a bear in the national forest and tried to recover it. He then got lost and realized he was not fully prepared to be in the woods alone.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was going to be a small hike,\u201d he explained. \u201cWhen I got in, I didn\u2019t take my knife, matches, lamp. I had no phone, no radio, no nothing. Just my jacket and what I was wearing.\u201d<\/p>\n The other members of his group notified the authorities that evening, and search-and-rescue teams were dispatched to the area. They looked for Velasquez over the next two days but were unsuccessful. By Wednesday, wildlife photographer Ignacio Saldana Jr.<\/a> decided to join in the search efforts and called his friend Manuel. Both men were close family friends of Velasquez, and they were worried about the old man who\u2019d taught them hunting and survival skills when they were boys.<\/p>\n On Wednesday evening, Saldana spotted a plume of smoke in the northwest part of Sequoia National Forest, according to Fox 26. He and Manuel headed that direction on Thursday morning. After hiking for more than 15 hours and calling Velasquez\u2019 name, they found him near California Hot Springs about 1,500 feet above Rube Creek.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t see them,\u201d Velasquez said. \u201cBut I answered \u2018I\u2019m over here! I\u2019m over here!\u2019 and when I saw them walking along the stream, I felt a beautiful relief.\u201d<\/p>\n