ESTES PARK, Colo. -- A Texas man found alive in Rocky Mountain National Park after three nights alone in the backcountry said he's just "incredibly grateful, and thankful and blessed."

Hillel Ben-Avi, 45, spoke to reporters Thurdsay morning in Estes Park, less than 24 hours after a search team spotted him from a plane.

Ben-Avi disappeared Sunday while hiking ahead of his brother in the park's Mummy Range area. He was last seen about 1:30 that afternoon at the top of Fairchild Mountain.

But when his brother reached the summit, Ben-Avi wasn't there.

The Texas radiologist said he's glad all of the searchers and resources were available.

"It was obviously an enormous effort, and I'm just incredibly thankful and grateful and blessed that all of the people and resources were there to do this because, I can tell you, if I were living in another place, I would've been dead."

Ben-Avi was tired and hungry when he was rescued, but was otherwise in good condition. He was admitted to an Estes Park hospital for observation overnight.

Ben-Avi had come across a fishing pole during his trek, tied a white shirt to the pole, and waved it around. Searchers were able to spot that shirt from the air Wednesday afternoon.

"There is an old Jewish saying that says if you save one life, you save the entire world. They saved my world," said Ben-Avi, crying.