A 70-year-old Michigan man who vanished during a solo hike in Isle Royale National Park was found alive and alert Saturday after a week-long search in one of the most remote corners of the U.S. national park system, authorities said.
Craig Berg, of Royal Oak, Michigan, was suffering from hypothermia when he was rescued by U.S. Coast Guard and Michigan State Police crews, according to officials. Video released by authorities showed a helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City hoisting Berg from the ground. He was then flown to a regional airport in Gwinn for emergency medical evaluation.
Berg was first spotted by fellow backpackers described by officials as good Samaritans, who alerted authorities Saturday. Michigan State Police foot patrols and K-9 units then reached him, according to Lt. Ben Eckola, a Michigan State Police public information officer. Officials did not disclose what happened to Berg during the week he was missing or provide additional details about his injuries.
The search drew on a wide array of agencies and resources. A 45-foot Coast Guard boat, drones and seaplanes were deployed alongside ground teams. The effort involved the National Park Service, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Keweenaw County Sheriff's Office, the Wisconsin State Patrol and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Eckola said.
«We're also thankful to the fellow hikers who helped, Isle Royale Seaplanes, and No One Left Behind K9 Search and Rescue,» Eckola said in a statement. «Everyone's efforts played an important part in finding Craig.»
Berg arrived at the national park on Aug. 27 for an extended solo hike but failed to return home Sept. 5, according to the Detroit Free Press. His wife, Debbie, told the newspaper that only two rangers are stationed on the island and that the park has two camp stores and a lodge.
Isle Royale National Park sits on a remote island in Lake Superior near the Canadian border. Its isolation makes it one of the least-visited national parks in the country and leaves it with limited infrastructure. According to the park's website, cell phone service is often unreliable, and many types of equipment are generally prohibited on the island, including bicycles, motorized vehicles and drones.
The rescue underscores the particular hazards of backcountry travel in a park where help can be hours or days away. Berg's week-long survival in the wilderness, despite developing hypothermia, ended with a coordinated air and ground operation that brought him to medical care.