Father-son duo survives night in Utah wilderness after finding ‘miracle’ backpack

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) — Julian Hernandez and his son got lost while hiking in southern Utah recently, and they began searching for shelter — instead, they stumbled across a “miracle” in the form of a fully stocked green backpack.

But how did the backpack get there?

Back at the beginning of January, 15-year-old Levi Dittman was planning to hike in the Red Mountain Trail area of Dammeron Valley. Stocking his hiking backpack with the best gear, first aid kit, snacks, and emergency supplies was a bit of a passion project for Levi. 

“Looking at the map, it seems flat, which it’s not,” Levi said of the trail. “So, anyone else, do not try this.” 

That’s a warning Levi wished he had known before climbing a steep ravine and getting stuck. While stranded on a ledge overnight, Levi tossed his backpack to a different spot (remember that for later). 

Eventually, search and rescue crews brought Levi to safety, leaving his fully stocked backpack behind. 

“I kinda just had to leave it there, which was a bit frustrating because I think at the time it was 200 to 300 bucks worth of stuff,” he recalled.

Levi’s $300 down the drain… at least, that’s what he thought, until now. On Monday, Feb. 17, Levi and his mother went to pick up his lost backpack at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, getting the bag back from Julian Hernandez.

“We ended up getting trapped in the same place where, a month ago, that 15-year-old got stuck,” Julian told ABC4.com.

Unlike Levi, Julian and his son did not have a backpack with them.

“We didn’t have the proper things,” Julian said. “The first thing that came to my mind was to find shelter.”

So, they did. They went to another spot on the trail — feeling cold, anxious, and waiting for help. That’s when what some might call a “miracle” happened.

“The moment we found the backpack — it was lovely,” Julian said. 

Julian and his son stumbled across the very backpack Levi had left behind about 45 days ago. Levi’s mother might be most excited of all. 

“It was just such a moment of miracle,” Gretchen Dittmann said. “It was just like a miracle had happened.”

A miracle in the shape of the green backpack Levi spent about 2 months building up, filling it with Pop-Tarts, Clif bars, bandages, and even an emergency tent — all things that Julian said helped him out in a time of need.

“We found some food in there so that kept us pretty well. Also, he had a water jug,” Julian said. “It kept us pretty well into the morning.”

Levi said he’s “glad it could help someone.”

Some might call it luck, others might call it a coincidence, but Levi’s mom has her own opinions.

“You really have to have faith that God’s working… Sometimes He’s using a backpack that sat for a month and a half for some guy that needed help in that moment — in the dark and cold,” Gretchen said. “This is a God… fingerprint, you know? It was just really cool.”