PHOENIX — A trip to search for hidden treasure in the wilderness turned into a survival story for a man from Phoenix.
On December 23, Brent Lendriet and his dog set out for an adventure near the Halfmoon Campground area of the Los Padres National Forest in Ventura County, California.
He had been to the area five times over the summer because he believes that's where he'll find hidden treasure.
The search for 10,000 pounds of gold
Lendriet says the treasure is worth $300 million which is why he has been on a quest to find it.
"Ten-thousand pounds worth of gold. It was hidden by a Franciscan monk," Lendriet said. “The legend has been passed down to me in a very credible and trackable way.”
Lendriet said the legend of the treasure has been passed down through his family and it dates back to the 1800s.
"We believe we found really close to the location where the treasure was hidden," Lendriet said.
But this most recent trip came on the heels of heavy rainfall, and before Lendriet knew it, the water was too deep.
"I violated the Forest Service fence line and a blocked road to go on a very rugged and very difficult terrain area back into where I needed to be. That's where I got into trouble," Lendriet said. "Even though I have a great truck for doing this kind of thing, I traversed it and it was like four feet deep at one point. I jumped out of my truck, water was flooding in everywhere. I'm up to my chest and freezing cold water."
Using a winch, Lendriet was able to partially get his truck out but it wasn't enough.
"The nearest tree I can use to pull myself out was 220 feet away. And I have 200 feet of straps and cables. So I was stuck there," Lendriet said. “I'm thinking I'm gonna freeze to death and die of exposure out here. That’s how bad it was.”
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Lendriet and his dog sheltered in his truck that doesn't have heat and the only food he had was frozen White Castle burgers and soup cans.
"I peeled off all my clothing like I've seen on survivor shows to get the wet clothing off and threw it in the back of my truck and the next morning, they're frozen like ice cubes. That's how cold it got at night," Lendriet said.
He was stuck with no cell phone service. But somehow, he managed to get texts out to his girlfriend and told her he needed help.
After being stranded for four days, that help came in the form of a Ventura County sheriff's deputy.
“How much longer do you think you could have been out there?” asked 12News reporter Bianca Buono.
“I thought I was on my last day by the time I got rescued," Lendriet said.
Days later, the sheriff's office took Lendriet back to retrieve his truck.
“What was the first thing that you ate after you were rescued?” Buono asked.
"I went to a steak house and had fabulous ribeye steak and baked potatoes. And I also bought one for my dog because he stuck it out with me."
Lendriet says he is incredibly grateful for the sheriff's deputy and regrets crossing the closed off road.
But he says this does not mark the end of his treasure hunt. He plans to go back for the gold this summer.
“I think I know where the treasure is. I'm very close," Lendriet said.
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