12 Year Old Boy Scout Jared Ropelato Survives After Being Lost For 20 Hours In The Utah Wilderness

An amazing story of survival here!  12 year old boy scout Jared Ropelato was on a wilderness outing with his troop over the weekend in the Utah wilderness, when Friday around 12n he went missing.  Be prepared is the motto and Jared, although frightened, held it together and remembered what he learned as a scout and put it to use.

From Hufington Post:

"He built a shelter made of tree branches and wood to get through a cold night and he also covered himself in dirt to stay warm."

And just so you know, Ashley National Forest drops down to below freezing over night!  Even with his make-shift shelter, he was still facing many obstacles, like the potential for hypothermia.

"The boy was wearing only jeans and a shirt, and had no food or water, when he went missing around noon Friday. He had gotten lost while making his way by himself back to camp from a nearby lake."

After 20 hours of being lost he was finally found Saturday morning about 4 miles from where he was last seen.

This kid definitely deserves a badge for this!  Boy scouts still do badges right?  He kept his composure and lasted more then most adults would.  Giving us a story that has a happy ending to it.