A Navy veteran who got lost in the California wilderness was rescued by a group of boy scouts.

Douglas Montgomery, 78, spent at least three days in the Sierra Nevada, drinking from puddles to stay alive.

Montgomery, who was also an Eagle Scout, was on a two-week backpacking trip when he drifted 15 miles off his trail.

He lost his backpack while assessing his surroundings. It contained everything he needed to survive: food, shelter, water, and medicine.

The seasoned hiker opted to conserve his energy and ceased his search, yet he soon realized that the near-freezing temperatures posed a risk of hypothermia.

Without his essential supplies, Montgomery drank water from puddles and kept warm by burying himself in dirt, pines and loam.

‘I complained about the cold out loud many times, yelling out of the darkness,’ He told the Santa Barbara Independent.

After several grueling days, Montgomery was eventually rescued by nine Boy Scouts from Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara Boy Scouts came to the aid of Douglas Montgomery, a 78-year-old former Eagle Scout from Troop 10 in Burlingame, after he became disoriented in the California wilderness.

The group of Santa Barbara Boy Scouts were hiking in Sierra Nevada when they came across the disoriented Navy veteran

Montgomery was on a two-week backpacking trip when he drifted 15 miles off his trail and lost his backpack while assessing his surroundings

Santa Barbara Boy Scout Troop 26, under the guidance of Scoutmaster Michael-James Hey, discovered Montgomery while on a seven-day excursion in the Emigrant Wilderness.

Scoutmaster Hey told the Daily Mail that they passed Montgomery on the side of the trail and quickly realized the hiker didn’t look well. 

‘He looked rough, and was unsteady on his feet. He had cuts all over his hands and was confused,’ he said.

The young Scouts, averaging just 12-years-old, put their wilderness skills to use and helped Montgomery warm up while giving him electrolytes and food.

Scoutmaster Hey, along with four other adults, contacted the police to send a rescue helicopter from Fresno. 

It was another agonizing three hour wait for the chopper, but the boys stayed to ensure Montgomery’s safety. 

They prepared a list of emergency contacts and medical history that first responders would need from Montgomery.

Scoutmaster Hey told the Daily Mail: ‘It was an incredibly powerful learning experience for them.’

The Boy Scouts used their wilderness skills to help the former Eagle Scout during the three-hour wait for the chopper

The boys had an average age of just 12-years-old but immediately sprang into action to help

The Scouts trained for several weeks to build the strength and stamina needed for the rugged seven-day trek.

They were four days into the trip at their most isolated point when they climbed out of Long Lake and encountered Montgomery.

 He was taken to a pack station at Kennedy Meadow where he declined additional medical assistance. 

Montgomery’s niece greeted him and they returned to his native San Francisco.

‘I got in my ‘84 Volvo and drove home the next morning, he told the Santa Barbara outlet.

Hey described Montgomery as an ‘interesting character’ who is an extremely accomplished outdoorsman.

‘He’s been on several solo expeditions, but I think he pushed it too far this time,’ he said. 

 He also emphasized the importance of being prepared and always traveling with a buddy.