Brian Laundrie 'living in hell' if he's at Sarasota County's Carlton Reserve
If Laundrie is indeed in the woods, the chances anyone finds him alive are slim, Burrow said.
Burrow teaches people how to survive in the wild with nothing but a knife and has spent his life exploring well off the beaten path. He knows the dangers that lurk.
With heavy rain in recent days, starting a fire will be nearly impossible. It's also the wrong season for foraging edible plants, Burrow said.
He said Laundrie may be able to scavenge leftovers from a predator's kill. There also are freshwater clams and snails he could collect. Fishing is another possibility.
“People have been making a big deal of the alligators and the snakes,” Burrow said. “But it's dehydration that's the real danger.”
Even if he were able to get a fire started to boil water, recent rains will have made the drinking water full of tannins from local foliage. Tannins occur in the roots, wood, and bark of oak trees, and high concentrations can be harmful to humans, Burrow said.
“That can cause loose bowels,” he said. “Not a good thing when you are already dehydrated.”
Bobcats, gators and snakes
When it comes to animals, the area's bears and panthers are not likely to bother humans. But if Laundrie is injured or struggling, he will also have to deal with coyotes and bobcats.
“If you were injured or exhausted,” Burrow said, “they would eat you.”
On the other hand, if an alligator grabs Laundrie, there would likely be nothing left.
“They like to put a carcass under a log, and let it get all rotten,” he said. “Then the gator would eat you slowly.”
MOO.
