My story about a True Woodsman and a lost cat named Bear…read more
My cat had been missing for 9 days. I had posted adds on Several sites with his photo, walked the neighborhood several times, checked private property that was heavily wooded a few times, doing all the things I could think of to do. on the 9th day of searching I had taken my husband with me to show everywhere I look that I believe our cat had been. we drove through the neighborhoods, went back to the private heavily wooded property, driving slow, windows down, then I thought I heard a meow. I yelled, STOP! I got out of the car and started calling his name. the meows got louder, now my husband hears it too. we go running through the woods to follow his sound wondering why he isn't running to us. I surely thought he may have been in a trap or something. We soon see him about 40 feet up in a tree and he was so happy to see us. His meows got ever so loud, like Mom, I'm here get me down. the problem then arose that we had to go over a fence, down a hill, and across the creek, back up the hill to get to the tree. My husband did just that and arrived at the tree but could not get all the way up due to some missing branches. Bear, was too afraid to jump down, there were missing branches. I am positive a coyote scared him up that tree and who knows how long he was there. he had been missing for 9 days. after several attempts to get Bear down, I was loosing hope. I called the Fire Department but they could not help me. I was going to run home and see if a neighbor had a ladder and wouldn't mind crossing the creek with it. I take off out of the woods and ran into this outdoor shed/shop and saw a little boy. I said hello, hello as I was coming around the front of the out building. That is when I first saw Mark and his son Max. I was frantic, I asked if he could help me and explained my story. He told me, the Fire Department has nothing on me, your cat is coming down today, you can breathe! I said really and let out a huge sigh of relief. He and Max walked with me and I showed him where Bear was. He had seen my husband across the creek, saw Bear in the tree and I said should we get the ladder to get across the creek. He said, well, why don't we take the bridge and I was like, huh, there's a bridge. He then guided our way to the bridge and through the woods to get to the tree. Mark was taller than my husband so he tried to climb the tree but my cat got so scared and just climbed up further. Mark had an idea and went to get his drone to scare the cat down, however that did not work, the drone could not get close enough due to the branches being in the way so he just watched it. I was like oh no, what do we do. we were all standing around thinking and Mark said, this is happening. Your cat is coming down now. Mark got back up in the tree, climbed up, then the cat climbed up, all the way to the top of the tree. Mark then climbs all the way to the top of tree, grabs my cat and drops him. i am. not sure how tall the tree was so I will say at least 100 feet. Bear then lands on the ground and high tales it into the woods, scared so bad and I finally found him hiding in a storm drain. he was in the middle, knew right where it was which led me to believe he had been there before. My husband went to get food and treats to lure Bear out but he was too scared. Mark and his son Max saved the day yet again when they brought out the remote control tank. They simply put it in one end of the storm drain and ran through the other until I had my cat safely in my grasps! Bear is now home safe and sound. He was so skinny and smelled like moss for days. I thank GOD everyday, as he had a hand in this. we had been searching and searching and on this given day, at the exact right time I meet this stranger in the woods who saved my cats life, risking his own and climbing the at least 100 foot tall tree with no support, security. I am truly amazed that I ran into Mark that day, i had never seen anyone around before when I was searching in the woods, but there he was. Little did I know at the time that he is a Marine, a Woodsman, teaches outdoor survival skills. What a miracle! God could not have given me a better person to have found for this job in saving Bears life. We are truly grateful and feel very blessed. Everyday I think about it, I am Amazed! Mark was a real GOD send and a TRUE WOODSMAN!
Also, I learned that he has a Wine Company which I will forever support. I love the craftsmanship, the whole idea of adventure behind it, his core values, and mission. Mark is an amazing person and so very happy to have met him. he has a lifelong customer and a very grateful new friend that owes him everything.
With all that being said, I would like to add this. Thank you Mark, from the bottom of my heart! You truly are an Amazing person! Wait, one more thing, I found out Mark was also on season 7 of Alone, what? I really did run into a true Woodsman. I am on episode 3.
Thank you Mark!
