A 70-year-old hiker who went missing on a remote island in Lake Superior was rescued after surviving for a week amid rugged terrain.
Craig Berg, of Royal Oak, Michigan, was unaccounted for since Sept. 5 while on a solo hiking trip in Isle Royale National Park, his wife, Debbie Berg, told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Authorities said he was reported overdue on Sept. 6, prompting a dayslong search of the island’s backcountry and waterways. The search included dogs, boats, aircraft and drones, the national park said in a statement. He was found on Sept. 12 “alive and alert,” but injured and hypothermic, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Michigan State Police.
“We are extremely grateful we were able to get Mr. Berg safely off the island and deliver him to the medical care he needed,” Senior Chief Petty Officer Wendy Janson, command duty officer of the Sector Northern Great Lakes command center, said.
A trail cam photo of Craig Berg, who began a solo hike on the Greenstone Trail at Isle Royale National Park in late August. The Royal Oak man was reported missing at the park after he did not catch a ferry back to the mainland on Sept. 5 as planned.
Craig Berg arrived at the island on Aug. 27 for a solo hike on the Greenstone Trail. When he missed his scheduled ferry ride home Sept. 5, his family reported him missing.
“We’re very hopeful with many people committed to finding him and we’re keeping the faith,” Debbie Berg previously told the Free Press.
Craig Berg was rescued after two paddlers spotted him on Intermediate Lake and alerted authorities, the national park said in a statement.
“With the assistance of good Samaritan backpackers, Michigan State Police troopers and K-9 units located Craig Berg, 70, who was reportedly injured and hypothermic on Isle Royale,” the Coast Guard said.
Footage of the rescue showed Craig Berg being hoisted up into a helicopter, which took him to a hospital for treatment.
Isle Royale National Park is nearly 207 square miles of remote, rugged terrain. It is the fifth-largest lake island in the world. The island in Lake Superior has no roads and is only accessible by boat or seaplane.
“Search teams worked across dense forests, rocky shorelines, wetlands and inland lakes, where limited cellular coverage can also make communication challenging,” Isle Royal National Park said.
Contributing: Susan Bromley, Detroit Free Press
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 70-year-old hiker rescued after being missing for a week
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