Oklahoma man Dustin Self, 19, is missing after leaving his family a month ago to live in the wilderness like his idol Christopher McCandless did in the book “Into The Wild.”
The search for Self began when authorities found his truck abandoned in the woods in southeastern Oregon, reports the Daily Mail.
His parents did not understand why he felt so determined to eke out a living in a remote, rugged area.
“We did everything we could to try to talk him out of it,” his mother Tammy said. “He was leaving, no matter what.”
His father was equally puzzled, describing Self as a “very urban child,” and “not a survivalist.”
“I think he got a lot off the Internet,” said his mother.
Self began becoming interested in South American religions and grew out his previously clean cut hair. “Into The Wild” tells the tale of a young man who left his family, ditched all his worldly possessions, and lived in the remote central Alaskan wilderness near Mt. Denali. He ultimately met his demise from eating poisoned berries while foraging.
“Into The Wild” was published in 1996 by Jon Krakauer and was turned into a movie in 2007, featuring a soundtrack recorded by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.