After being lost on a Guatemalan volcano last month, the hiker has finally made it back home to Lilburn.
In a heartwarming reunion, Zain Waliany, a 26-year-old, caught up with his parents and sister. During his conversation with Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco, he shared his emotions and experiences.
On May 21st, while hiking Volcan de Fuego in Guatemala, Waliany found himself lost, as he later recounted.
Struggling to adapt to the high altitude, he instructed his friend to continue the ascent without him. He assured his friend that he would catch up later.
Waliany admitted, “I let my ego get the best of me at that moment.”
As Waliany trudged up the slippery, ash-covered peak, he unfortunately sprained his ankle. Despite the pain, he persevered for hours until he finally reached the summit. Sadly, by the time he arrived, his friend had already descended with the other members of their tour group.
Waliany never came down even after waiting for nine long hours.
Emen Waliany shared her heart-wrenching sentiments, “I can’t bear to think about what might have happened. It’s just too painful. My older brother is my only sibling, and he means everything to me.”
According to her brother, he would walk for 14 hours every day.
According to him, he spent one night sleeping in a tree, while finding refuge in caves for the other nights.
Waliany shared that tears streamed down her face, particularly after her second fall. However, upon tasting her own tears, she knew that she couldn’t afford to cry at that moment. Instead, she had to push through and persevere. Despite the fear of death looming over her, Waliany refused to let negativity consume her thoughts. Her focus was solely on what she could do to stay alive.
During his journey, he mentioned that dogs, also known as man’s best friend, appeared on the volcano.
Waliany expressed that the individual in question was an angel in disguise.
As he approached the base, he and the dog observed people heading to work. Soon after, they spotted the police.
Waliany revealed that her identity was recognized by the people immediately.
After escorting him to the station, the authorities provided him with a meal, and medical professionals assessed his well-being. Fortunately, Waliany was able to contact his family and inform them of his situation.
Waliany shared that the experience was quite overwhelming and it affected her emotionally. She admitted that it broke her a little bit upon hearing her dad and mom’s voices on the phone, knowing that they had been crying.
By the following Sunday, he had made it back home safely. He mentioned that he won’t be embarking on any hiking or traveling adventures anytime soon.
