NEWCOMB — It's not in any survival manual, but a group of lost hikers in the Adirondacks during a rainy overnight last week tried to fend off the cold by using the only warm water they had — their urine.

The five hikers, all from Miami, got lost May 3 in the High Peaks during a day hike from the Upper Works trailhead near Tahawus, Essex County, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.

As it grew dark, temperatures dipped into the 40s and rain began falling.

The group tried to keep warm by urinating on each other, they told rescuers. The technique is not a standard survival technique and apparently provided limited relief.

No information was immediately available from the DEC as to what kind of clothing or foul-weather gear the group had.

The five, identified as David Guirola, Jessica Lasprilla, Yandy Rodriguez, Edward Garcia and Kevin Gonzales, managed to get through the night and were rescued about 10 a.m. the following day near the Calamity Brook, according to the DEC. Most in the group were in their 20s.

Two rangers had searched unsuccessfully the previous night after locating the party's vehicle at the Upper Works trailhead parking lot.

DEC was alerted to the missing hikers about 11 p.m. after getting a call from the owners of a Schroon Lake inn where they had been staying and who grew concerned when they did not return.

The group had intended to hike through Adirondack Mountain Reserve lands around Ausable Lake, but took a wrong turn and got lost.

The five were wet and cold when found, but did not require medical treatment beyond rehydration and warming back up, according to the DEC. Rangers got them back to their vehicle without incident.

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