Survivor: Beltsville

Yesterday, I told you about Julian McCormick, a local college student who was reported missing, and after a week of being left for dead in a ravine, freed himself from a car, and flagged down a ride to the hospital. We're all very happy this guy is alive, but as more details about the accident that left him stranded surface, I can only say one thing: Julian McCormick is one gully brother.

As Julian McCormick recalls it, he lay in and out of consciousness for eight days and seven nights, hot, sticky and bloody with not a clue as to what day it was or how he ended up trapped in his overturned car at the bottom of a steep embankment in Prince George's County.

To survive, he ate a fish he caught with his hands and used his high-top sneaker to drink water from the creek, the 18-year-old Bowie State University student told his parents.

As Julian McCormick recalls it, he lay in and out of consciousness for eight days and seven nights, hot, sticky and bloody with not a clue as to what day it was or how he ended up trapped in his overturned car at the bottom of a steep embankment in Prince George's County.

To survive, he ate a fish he caught with his hands and used his high-top sneaker to drink water from the creek, the 18-year-old Bowie State University student told his parents.

When he finally was able to muster the strength, he cut his seat belt using a small knife he had in his car, forced his door open and then dragged himself by his elbows, his body racked with pain, 30 feet up to the shoulder of the road hoping that someone would see him and rescue him. Someone did.

Man, does this story have the makings of a made for TV/straight to DVD movie or what? Somebody get the BET Blackbuster Films people on the line.

As I suspected, the family is of course happy that their son was located in one piece, but now that he's safe and sound, someone in the PG County Police department has some splainin' to do.

As their son recovered at Washington Hospital Center yesterday, Peggy and James McCormick tried to piece together the circumstances of their son's disappearance and recovery and questioned why police had not done more to search for him.

And why did police wait days to look for McCormick and then conduct just a 1 1/2 -hour search -- at night, when visibility was limited?

Police categorized McCormick as a "non-critical missing person" because there were no signs of foul play.

"I don't think it was a priority," Peggy McCormick said. Added James McCormick: "He's been there the whole time, less than one mile from home."

Sniff, sniff. That's the smell of a lawsuit being drawn up, and it ain't frivolous.

The PGC Police are saying that since the accident occurred on Federal property, they aren't culpable. I say, B.S. That incompetent squad should have done more than a 90 minute search for that kid. If he didn't have such a strong will to live, this story might have ended quite differently.

Thanks to Julian McCormick, aka: Survivor Beltsville though, this one's headed for a Hollywood ending. I'm already putting it in my Netflix queue.

Bowie Student Trapped 8 Days Details Pain, Survival Tactics [WaPost]