Sam Benastick, a Canadian hiker who went missing over a month ago, has been found alive. He reportedly survived the harsh conditions that befell the wilderness, including snowfall and temperatures below -20C.
The 20-year-old was reported to be missing on October 17, when he failed to show up at home after a 10-day-long camping trip in Redfern-Keily Park, located in the northern Rocky Mountains. Search and rescue efforts were executed for about 11 days by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), to no avail.
Sam Benastick's grandmother says his story is going to be "friggin' amazing"
Reportedly, two people on their way to work at the Redfern Lake trail spotted a man walking towards them and recognized him as the missing hiker. He was discovered on a Tuesday morning, as he held himself up with two sticks. His sleeping bag was cut up and wrapped around his legs to keep him warm.
They rushed him to the hospital, where officials confirmed his identity. Given the 5 weeks that have passed since he went missing, officials expected a different outcome but were overjoyed nonetheless. Corporal Madonna Saunderson, of the British Columbia RCMP communications team, said, per News Sky:
"Finding Sam alive is the absolute best outcome. After all the time he was missing, it was feared that this would not be the outcome."
Sam Benastick informed the police that he camped out in his car for a few days, and then trekked to a creek, where he found shelter for the next 10 to 15 days. He then shifted down the valley and built a makeshift camp over a dried-out creek, before he trekked down to the vicinity he was located in. Per BBC, he was stuck in the wilderness for a whopping 50 days.
Mike Reid, the general manager of the Buffalo Inn in Pink Mountain, B.C., said to the outlet:
"You know, the guy says he's in rough shape. But man, for 50 days out in that cold, he's going to live."
Shortly after he was found, Sam Benastick's mother took to social media to upload a photo of him, lying in a hospital bed, with two bandages over his eyes. He flashed a thumbs up for the camera, and her caption read:
"Complained that he hasn't caught one fish. He will make recovery just needs some time."
His parents camped out in the same area where he vanished for over 20 days in the hopes of finding their son. Eileen Stevens, Sam Benastick's grandmother, was optimistic that he was familiar with the woods:
"Sam is a guy who knows the woods. He's been raised — he's a hiker. He's a passionate fisherman. I don't know his story, but I'm sure it's going to be friggin' amazing."
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British Columbia drew out over 120 volunteers to search and rescue the young man, including the RCMP and Canadian Rangers, and the Fort Nelson and North Peace teams.
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