An outdoor enthusiast in Canada was rescued Wednesday, after having disappeared for three months that left him so desperate, he was reportedly forced to kill and eat his German shepherd to stay alive.
A comrade close to 44-year-old Marco Lavoie, told Canadian press agency QMI that the outdoorsman decided to sacrifice his beloved pet when he reached Nottaway River, located about 500 miles northwest of Montreal, and realized he was stranded. A bear had devoured Lavoie's food store and destroyed many of his belongings after raiding his boat in July, leaving him alone with the dog, according to the Toronto Sun.
Lavoie made the tough decision to kill and eat his pet a few days after the bear attack, the person whose identity was not revealed told QMI.
Three months later, Lavoie was airlifted out of the area by provincial police who reported that he could hardly talk, or even take down food. At the time of his rescue, Lavoie suffered from hypothermia and dehydration. During his time marooned in the woods, the 44-year-old lost about 90 pounds.
According to author of survival guide "Le Surviethon" Andre Francois Bourbeau, who spoke with the Sun, Lavoie made the right choice to save his own life.
"He survived because he made good decisions," Bourbeau stated. "Eating his dog was one of them. You have to be desperate, but there's no shame in [eating the dog]. He had to use reason."
Lavoie is reportedly a seasoned hiker who often took woods retreats solo for weeks. But according to Andre Diamond, who lives on an island at the mouth of the Nottaway River, conditions at the water are dangerous. He told the Sun that he tried to tell Lavoie to keep his distance from the river.
"He said it didn't scare him, but it's not a river to travel alone," Diamond said. "Other adventurers have gone there over 20, 30 years and never came back."
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