Yeah...This almost sounds made up. 35 days w/out water or food and only lost 5lbs? Must have been water in the hole or that was one damn fat cocker!
And...how likely is there to be a hose laying around Death Valley?
Stranger things have happened. You don't know; possibly there was the artesian thing going down there, wet enough to help him along.
As for hose - perhaps the men/boys went back to get something to use. Which would be a bit more than the owners did, apparently!