On July 17, 1939, 12-year-old Boy Scout Donn Fendler was hiking Mt. Katahdin with his father, two brothers and two friends, Henry Condon and Fred Eaton.

In the midst of a storm and dense fog, Fendler left the group, and lost the trail. He survived for nine days without food and water. Following his rescue, President Franklin D. Roosevelt named Fendler the outstanding youth hero of 1939.

Joseph B. Egan’s children’s book about the incident, “Donn Fendler – Lost on a Mountain in Maine,” is considered a classic.

Fendler, who went on to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II, signed copies of the book at the Maine Wildlife Park on Saturday, 75 years after the fateful hike. At the event, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife instructors demonstrated basic survival skills, including fire-starting and shelter construction. According to Curtis Johnson, superintendent of the park, Saturday’s turnout was overwhelming.

“We had about 850 people in attendance on Saturday. This exceeded our expectations and demonstrated just how popular Donn is,” Johnson said. “He had a line of people waiting to meet him and get autographs for about five hours. This is a testament to the impact that Donn’s story continues to have on people.”

Fendler, a summer resident of Newport, recently talked with the Lakes Region Weekly about the event that changed his life and made him a national hero.

Q: How did you become lost? And what advice do you have for those who take to the woods?

A: Henry and I were traveling along the Tableland when we got caught in a wicked storm. I got cold and scared so I left Henry and went back down the trail. I soon lost it. Instead of waiting, I panicked. I was definitely lost.

Stay with your group. Make sure you have some necessary survival items, in particular, matches, cell phone (if there is reception in the area), water, first aid kit, knife, trail rations, extra socks, sweater and a whistle.

Q: What was it like to finally get out of the woods?

A: You can well imagine how happy I was to find the McMoran camp where I knew I was going to be OK.

Q: Do you ever think back to that time of being lost and how that felt?

A: No, I’ve never dwelled or given much thought about my experience. Being in that storm up on the mountain, coming down off it that first day, the bugs, losing my sneakers and pants, meeting bears and finding the McMoran camp stand out mostly in my mind.

Q: Have you ever returned to the area where you got lost?

A: Yes, I’ve been back to Katahdin many times. Climbed it again. They wouldn’t let me climb it alone – I can’t imagine why. The following summer we tried to find the route I took but with very little success.

Q: Are you surprised at your enduring popularity?

A: Yes, it never ceases to amaze me that the story has continued to remain popular these past 75 years.

Donn Fendler