Never Trust the French

San Jose couple recovers after ordeal in Santa Cruz mountains

Apparently, these two casual hikers got lost for FIVE DAYS in a relatively small (5,000 acre) state park in California.
Their story is that it got dark and they got lost.
Um...wouldn't you just turn around and walk back along the trail you came in on?? Just, I mean, that makes sense to me and I have no professional survival skills whatsoever.

Since these two ended up wandering the state park for five days, I have to assume that they left the trail at some point during their original hike and couldn't relocate it afterwards.

Big mistake novice hikers!!

It's no surprise then that the husband was a member of the French Army and did have survival training. Yeeeaaaaah...Tip no. 1: Stay on the trail, Arnaud.

And oh my gosh, after FIVE DAYS this local guy who was familiar with the park decided he would just go find them...and he DID!
This random local guy went to Castle Rock, walked around for awhile, and found the lost couple BY NOON!
Noon!
When they were found, they were only 300 or so feet away from the trail.
Mmmm, nice French Army survival skills.