70-Year-Old Hiker Found Alive After Week Missing on Remote Michigan Island

A 70-year-old man who disappeared for a week while hiking alone on a remote island in Lake Superior was found alive Saturday, according to officials.

Craig Berg, of Royal Oak, Michigan, was suffering from hypothermia when Coast Guard and Michigan State Police crews rescued him from Isle Royale National Park. The U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes said Berg was found “alive and alert” after going missing on Sept. 5.

Video released by authorities shows a Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City helicopter crew hoisting Berg from the ground. He was flown to a regional airport in Gwinn for emergency medical evaluation. Officials have not disclosed what happened to Berg during the week he was missing or given further detail on his injuries.

Berg was first spotted Saturday by backpackers described by officials as “good Samaritans,” who alerted authorities. Michigan State Police foot patrols and K-9 units then reached him.

The search drew on a wide range of agencies and equipment, including a 45-foot Coast Guard boat, drones and seaplanes. Participating agencies included 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, according to Lt. Ben Eckola, a Michigan State Police public information officer.

“We’re also thankful to the fellow hikers who helped, Isle Royale Seaplanes, and No One Left Behind K9 Search and Rescue. Everyone’s efforts played an important part in finding Craig,” Eckola said in a statement.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Berg arrived at the park on Aug. 27 for an extended solo hike and failed to return home on Sept. 5.

Isle Royale National Park sits on an isolated island in Lake Superior near the Canadian border and is one of the least-visited national parks in the country due to its remote location and limited infrastructure. Berg’s wife, Debbie, told the Detroit Free Press that only two rangers are stationed on the island, which has two camp stores and a lodge.

The park’s website notes that cell phone service on the island is often “unreliable,” and that many types of equipment, including bicycles, motorized vehicles and drones, are generally prohibited.