Couple has near-fatal 4-day hike after getting kicked out of Big Bend

El Solitario at Big Bend Ranch State Park (Cory Heikkila / Houston Chronicle) El Solitario at Big Bend Ranch State Park (Cory Heikkila / Houston Chronicle) Image 1 of / 71 Caption Close Couple has near-fatal 4-day hike after getting kicked out of Big Bend 1 / 71 Back to Gallery

A couple vacationing in Big Bend last week was kicked out of the national park when the federal government shut down. It led to them getting dangerously lost on foot for four days in West Texas and living off of water from a spring they found, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

As Cathy Frye, 43, of North Little Rock, Ark., and her husband, Ricky Lee McFarland, 58, were leaving the park Oct. 1, an official at the national park suggested that they relocate to the neighboring 300,000-acre Big Bend Ranch State Park to continue their vacation.

The official gave them a map of the state park.

"It's a bigger park and it's a more rugged park," says TPWD spokesman Mike Cox. "The map they received was small-scale. They needed one with more detail."

Though the couple had been yearly regulars to the national park, the state park has more accidents and fatalities and doesn't get as much traffic, said Cox.

On Oct. 2, the couple arrived at the state park and set up their campsite, then biked to Puerte Chilicote Trail to begin a hike. The couple wasn't familiar with their map and became lost.

Out of water and tired, they spent that night at a scenic overlook near Mexicano Falls. The next day, they hiked into Arroyo Mexicano and soon became diverted into territory they weren't equipped for.

Not having enough water played a big part in the couple's dangerous odyssey. Cox said the rule of thumb for hiking states that everyone should carry a gallon of water for each day they hike. The couple only had a few bottles of water between them.

At one point, Frye took off a fanny pack she was carrying that contained food and forgot to pick it up as she and her husband moved on, TPWD said.

They eventually found a live spring that allowed them to refill their water supplies and wash cactus thorns from their clothing.

Later that evening, temperatures dropped in the park and without a way to build a fire the couple's wet clothing from the spring brought on hypothermia.

Cox says that springs aren't a rarity in the park. Even in drought conditions they still exist, as they can continue to be well-charged. Finding them is the lucky part.

By Oct. 4, Frye was suffering from exhaustion and couldn't continue. Her husband left her near near Howard Ranch to search for help.

He finally found his truck and drove to park headquarters to alert emergency officials.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Presidio County Sheriff’s Office and the volunteer Texas Search and Rescue Team would soon collaborate with Texas game wardens and state park police to find Frye.

The recovery effort would grow to involve 37 rescuers.

"The team spent all day Saturday searching for Frye," said Cox.

Frye had moved from the point where her husband had last saw her. She was located Oct. 6 in a valley by a Border Patrol helicopter.

She was suffering from severe dehydration and exposure.

About 200 yards of brush had to be cleared for the helicopter to rescue Frye and take her to an airstrip on the park to be flown to University Hospital in El Paso.

Her husband was reported to be fatigued from the long walks and sleepless nights.

The Associated Press reports that Frye is a reporter with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and that McFarland is a photographer.