No one quite knows how long Kevin was alone but amidst his days of wandering with tear strewn eyes he started being followed by a rather intrigued fox. Kevin recalls being so scared that he climbed a tree, but the fox stayed nearby, never leaving sight of the boy in his tree. Eventually his exhaustion got the best of him and Kevin wearily descended back to the forest floor. Within seconds the fox appeared, startling the young child. What Kevin didn’t notice before, with his tear soaked eyes, was this fox was a mother, and had 3 little kits with her. And without hardly a hint of communication the mother fox took to the sobbing child like he was her own.

Kevin lived this way for almost 5 years, following the mother fox around and learning how to hunt “as well as any human could try to hunt like a fox” could. Rumors spread of hikers spotting a wild child rapidly crossing trails in pursuit of a fox. The more and more sightings sprung the park service to launch an investigation. Before long Kevin was found, asleep alongside a small Catskill stream, with 2 small brook trout carcasses laid at his feet. As with any child left that long to fend for himself in the wild, he had a hard time transitioning to modern day society. His families attempt to reintroduce him into school was a failure at best. Kevin longed to wander the hills again and would escape with any chance so he could search for his friend, and mentor, the mother fox.

Years went by like this until his pursuit to reconnect with the life he once knew was slowly redirected by something all teenage boys can relate to, girls. Kevin would continue to struggle but eventually graduate high school. He found work where he could but found himself best suited to turning a wrench to collect a paycheck. Always longing for a return to the familiar shapes and smells of his time in the Catskills, Kevin would disappear alone on hikes and fishing trips every chance he could get. His time understanding and surviving in the forests of upstate New York also led him towards photography. It was an easier way for him to express his adoration of the outdoors without having to communicate with speech, something he lived all of those years without.

Today you can find Kevin wandering the many river carved valleys of the Catskill mountains, reliving the days of his youth. With his rod in hand, and his camera strapped to his pack, Kevin continues to create beautiful content of upstate New York and shares it on his Instagram page @LOSTRIVERDRIFTER.

Years went by like this until his pursuit to reconnect with the life he once knew was slowly redirected by something all teenage boys can relate to, girls. Kevin would continue to struggle but eventually graduate high school. He found work where he could but found himself best suited to turning a wrench to collect a paycheck. Always longing for a return to the familiar shapes and smells of his time in the Catskills, Kevin would disappear alone on hikes and fishing trips every chance he could get. His time understanding and surviving in the forests of upstate New York also led him towards photography. It was an easier way for him to express his adoration of the outdoors without having to communicate with speech, something he lived all of those years without.

Today you can find Kevin wandering the many river carved valleys of the Catskill mountains, reliving the days of his youth. With his rod in hand, and his camera strapped to his pack, Kevin continues to create beautiful content of upstate New York and shares it on his Instagram page @LOSTRIVERDRIFTER.