Hiker Found in Canadian Wilderness 50 Days After Going Missing

After being reported missing in October, the worst was expected and the search was called off for a hiker in the Canadian Wilderness.

Rocky Mountain Range / Evan Reece

Reported missing on October 19 of this year, twenty-year-old Sam Benastick was found on Tuesday morning, having survived 50 days in the wilderness of British Columbia.

According to CBC News, Benastick planned an excursion to Redfern-Keily Provincial Park on October 7. His camping trip was only to last 10 days; however, ten days came and went with no word from Benastick. His parents took action and search parties gathered together and searched the glacial landscape without any luck.

The signs of danger increase dramatically in the deep valleys and jagged mountains of the Canadian Rocky Mountains as winter quickly approached. Redfern-Keily Park warns visitors of the danger of avalances and wildlife such as bears, wolves and lynx. The addition of below freezing temperatures did not bode well for Benastick but thankfully he was found in the nick of time.

Over 100 local volunteers aided in the search and Benastick's family spent weeks at the Buffalo Inn Pink Mountain hotel near the park. His sister started a GoFundMe page to raise awareness, and his mother kept everyone updated through her Facebook page. Despite the extreme amount of effort to find the young hiker, the official search was called off. It ended up being two men on their way to work found him on the Redfern Lake trail, his sleeping bag wound around his legs.

In a statement, Madonna Saunderson of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said, "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."

Benastick was taken to a health care provider nearby and his uncle told the outlet that he is experiencing "frostbite and some smoke inhalation."

Though the timeline of events is vague, as Benastick is not available for comment at this time, the press release stated, "Sam told police that he stayed in his car for a couple of days and then walked to a creek, mountain side where he camped out for 10-15 days."

After his campout near the creek, the hiker moved down the valley, building a shelter in a dry creek bed before making his way to the Redfern Lake trail where he flagged down his rescuers.