True stories of missing people that were unexpectedly found alive! These are some amazing tales of recluses, charlatans, and unfortunate wanderers mistakenly thought to be gone. #8 Private Getaway
At the age of 26, Carlos Sanchez Ortiz de Salazar went missing. The Spanish psychiatrist was gone 15 years before he was assumed to have passed away in 2010. But in 2015, two mushroom hunters stumbled across a hermit who claimed to be Carlos while exploring an Italian natural reserve. He told the men he did not wish to live among people and now that his retreat had been discovered, he would move on to a new location. Hoping to still provide assistance, the fungus finders reached out to Spanish authorities who were able to find Dr. Salazar’s family. But by the time his parents reached Italy, he had already vanished once more. His family was grateful to learn the news, but still maintain hope that one day they’ll embrace him again, if even for a moment.
#7 Never Give Up
Armed combat can lead to a number of scary situations, but imagine being so completely stranded during conflict that you can’t receive orders or even notification that the fight is over! That’s exactly what happened to Japanese Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda who was deployed to the Philippines in 1944. The intelligence officer was given strict orders to sabotage the enemy operations and never to be taken captive alive. Onoda and three companions retreated to the hills once allied forces arrived in 1945 and continued to employ guerilla tactics from the shelter of the wilderness. One by one, his fellow soldiers perished over the next two decades until Onoda was the last one remaining. Pamphlets would be dropped in the area informing them that the battle was over, but they disregarded this message as propaganda and fought on. By 1974, Onoda had become a legend and caught the attention of the Eastern world, including that of a young hippie traveler, Norio Suzuki. Suzuki ventured off in his travels, claiming to be in search of Onoda, a panda, and the Abominable Snowman...in that order. In February of that year, Suzuki stumbled upon Onoda and the two became unlikely friends, though Onoda refused to give up his campaign without direct orders from his commanding officer. So with a little help from Onoda’s now elderly and retired superior, Suzuki was eventually able to bring the stranded soldier home. He was celebrated in his homeland, exonerated of crimes in the Philippines, and spent the rest of his days between a cattle ranch in Brazil and establishing schools for nature survival back in Japan.
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