Man, 65, and his bullterrier Tor, given up for dead, survive for three weeks in taiga

Pensioner Viktor Vinogradov went missing on October 3 in the taiga in Krasnoyarsk region in a ‘miracle’ survival. 

Locals say the subzero night temperatures at this time of year - plus the lack of berries and mushrooms to eat - make the survival of the man and dog remarkable. 

The pair went missing near Podgomy village on 3 October. 

A hunt by the Emergencies Ministry and some 100 searchers failed to local the man and his pet bullterrier in the taiga. 

They checked 100 square km of forest, but had given up, believing it was impossible to survive for so long. 

His friends even contacted a medium who told them there was ‘no hope of finding him alive’.

Night temperatures sank to minus 3C.

His family - who had reported his legs were ‘lame’ - were ‘preparing for the worst’.

They feared he could have been attacked by a wild animal in a region rife with brown bears and wolves.

But on Sunday the man and his dog walked out of the wild at Kuskun village some 54 kilometres east of Krasnoyarsk city. 

Looking thin, but otherwise healthy, he asked locals for help to contact his family. 

Now the story of their remarkable survival has started to come out.

He ate rowan berries and tar from coniferous trees.

The pensioner caught and roasted mice on a camp fire for his dog to eat.

Vinogradov is undergoing medical checks after suffering from 'severe dehydration' and has 'lost a huge amount of weight'.

His daughter Tatiana said: 'He ate rowan berries and chewed tar.

'My father caught mice and roasted them for Tor.

'They had matches and found some more in a hunter's hut.'

She said: 'They lost weight. They have severe dehydration.

'We are trying to restore them.

'There are no injuries so far, but it will be clearer after a medical check’

'Papa told me was no despair.

'They were just searching for a way out.

'When it was hard he sang a song.'

Oksana Vasilishina, the head of a local charity, said:

‘They came out near Kuskun village. They spent all this time in the taiga. 

‘It is incredible that they managed to survive. It was a time of the first frosts.

’It was so cold, there were no berries, no mushrooms, just nothing… how did they manage? 

‘Kuskun is 25 km from Podgrorny by road. 

‘Probably they went along the river… It is just a miracle! 

‘All of us are crying here. How did they stand it?

‘We know this man was working at a secret factory. 

‘He was one of those old school tough men.’

Amazingly, after the ordeal he did not need medical help - and went straight home to his family. 

A poster reporting him missing had said he was ‘heavily built, with blue eyes and chestnut coloured hair’.

He had a dark blue jacket but not suitable for cold temperatures.