A 39-year-old ultra runner, Robert Schock, set out on a quick 20-mile run in North Cascades National Park with his dog on July 31. This run turned into a month-long survival nightmare, and he was finally found on August 30.
Schock had planned a simple one-day outing with his dog, Freddy, and brought only minimal supplies, including shorts, a small backpack, and a dog pan, assuming he'd be back the same day.
However, he got lost without food, phone service, or adequate clothing, leaving him stranded and vulnerable in the wilderness. Schock struggled to survive for a month, using his backpack as shelter and barely staying alive. Finally, on August 30, Robert Schock was rescued, reflecting on the experience with disbelief, saying:
"Never would I have dreamt that's the experience I was headed towards... Never did I dream that this kind of survival could ever even be possible."
Jeff Kish, Executive Director at Pacific Northwest Trail Association, shared details about how they found Robert Schock in a post on Facebook. He wrote:
"Robert was found alive, but not well. It is the belief of those who came to be involved in the rescue that Robert may have only had another day left in him before the outcome of his discovery would have been much more tragic."
How was Robert Schock found?
Robert Schock was found on August 30 after a month-long ordeal in North Cascades National Park. His car, parked at the Hannegan Pass trailhead with windows down and his wallet on the dashboard, raised concern after it appeared abandoned, and his dog was found alone on the trail on August 4.
Search efforts, including helicopters and ground teams, initially found no clues. Nearly a month later, National Park Service rangers discovered Schock alive in the Chilliwack Basin, ending his harrowing survival experience.
After setting out on a run through North Cascades National Park, Robert Schock got lost. He had visited the park many times but hadn't been there in a few years. He planned to follow the Chilliwack River Trail using an old map and cross the river via a cable car. However, he reported that he quickly lost his way. Recent wildfires in 2021 and 2022 had closed parts of the trail and changed the landscape, making it difficult to navigate.
A recap of Robert's month-long survival ordeal
On the second day of being lost, Robert Schock's phone died. By day three, he realized how serious his situation had become. Completely disoriented, he told his dog, Freddy, to find their way home.
As the days dragged on, Schock often lost track of time and found himself wishing:
"Please let this be over, I want this to end."
He stumbled upon old bear nesting grounds, which provided some shelter. One day, he discovered a large mushroom that became his main food source.
“I ate that thing all day long; it just tasted like a normal mushroom you would have on a pizza or something,"
Robert Schock recalled, adding that berries were 'pretty nasty' in comparison.
During his ordeal, he spotted a helicopter twice and shouted for help, but no one responded. Schock's strength began to fade, and he admitted,
“I wasn't screaming for help very much anymore... I was just doing it on occasion... I was not doing very well.”
On August 30, while sitting by the Chilliwack River, he felt near death and lost control of his bowels. As the sun set, he dreaded the cold night ahead and decided to call for help one last time. “I said, ‘Help!’”
Fortunately, Pacific Northwest Trail Association members heard his cries while returning from maintenance work. One member immediately gave Schock his shirt, which he credited with saving his life. He said:
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"It is an understatement to say how truly thankful I am for those people to be there that day because it came pretty close to the finish line,”
Robert Schock was airlifted to a hospital, where he finally slept for the first time in weeks and received intravenous food for three days before he was able to contact his mother.
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