After more than five weeks in the wilderness: missing hiker found again

British Columbia (Canada) - Sam Benastick actually only wanted to take a trip to a remote lake for ten days to go fishing, but he never returned. The search for him was unsuccessful - but then came the surprising turn of events: The 20-year-old suddenly reappeared!

Samuel Benastick (20) was last seen doing a few laps on his dirt bike on a hiking trail near Lake Redfern.
Samuel Benastick (20) was last seen doing a few laps on his dirt bike on a hiking trail near Lake Redfern.  © Facebook.com/samuel.benastick.1

According to a BBC report, his family reported Samuel missing to the police on October 19 of this year. Together they searched in vain for the 20-year-old and had to end the search at the end of October.

After all, temperatures in the Redfern Lake area, in the northern Rocky Mountains, had dropped to below minus 20 degrees Celsius.

But last Tuesday the miracle happened: two people working near Lake Redfern discovered the missing Sam on the side of the road!

"Nothing but mountains, steep cliffs and glaciers" - yet Sam survived

Lake Redfern is located in the north of the Rocky Mountains in Canada and is surrounded by mountains. Samuel Benastick disappeared there at the beginning of October.
Lake Redfern is located in the north of the Rocky Mountains in Canada and is surrounded by mountains. Samuel Benastick disappeared there at the beginning of October.  © Screenshot: Google Maps

The two immediately alerted the police and the emergency doctor and Sam was able to receive medical treatment.

He told the officers that he had spent the first few days in his car, after which he had camped near a stream for ten to 15 days. When the temperatures dropped, he built himself a small shelter in a dry riverbed until he eventually found his way back to the road.

A spokesman for the rescue team said: "These are very difficult conditions to survive in, especially with so little equipment and food. You have to drive for hours to get to the nearest town, otherwise you have nothing but mountains, steep cliffs and glaciers."

As Sam was not in good health when he was rescued, he was taken to the nearest hospital.