I understand wanting to test your survival skills...but couldn't he have done that in the woods outside of his or somebody else's house? I mean...nobody should WANT to be in a survivor situation. The whole point of having those skills is that if you ever need them because you're SCREWED...not to intentionally screw yourself and then need them.

That being said I bet he got wet and couldn't dry off properly. They said he was in a "marshy" area so I bet that was it.