A missing hiker who was last seen at the end of July in North Cascades National Park has been found alive in what rescuers say was a narrowly averted tragedy.
According to the Cascadia Daily News, Robert Schock, 39, was last seen on July 31 near the Chilliwack River without obvious overnight gear. On August 3, deputies discovered his vehicle at the Hannegan Pass Trailhead with the windows rolled down and his wallet on the dashboard. His dog was found 8 miles down the trail.
Shock's disappearance prompted search efforts by foot and helicopter, but no further trace of the hiker was uncovered and efforts were called off after several weeks. It wasn't until August 30, a full month after his last sighting, that a team from the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, who had been working on the trail all day, heard him yelling for help.
"They were returning to their backcountry camp, exhausted, when they crossed the Chilliwack River and heard something barely discernible above the sound of the river, but out of place for their surroundings. It was not readily apparent that they had heard a person, but their intuition was to take the time to investigate, just in case," writes Jeff Kish, Executive Director at PNTA in a statement on Facebook.
Kish says he decided to make the statement to highlight the hard work of the crews who searched for, and rescued Shock, whose condition he describes as "dire."
"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."
Kish reports that PNTA crews were among the last people to encounter Shock before he was reported missing, and the ones who eventually found him, writing that they provided "critical aid for several hours" before rescue teams arrived and evacuated the man by helicopter.
"When our crew found Robert, he was able to communicate to them that he had been immobile, stuck in that exact spot for approximately two weeks, and based on the condition that he was found in, there was no reason for the crew to question it."
Shock's mother, Jan, tells the Cascadia Daily News her son became lost and disoriented on the 17-mile trail.
“We’re really in disbelief about this,” she says.
The story is the latest in a series of cases this summer where hikers have been found alive after an improbable time lost in the wilderness, including an 89-year-old who spent 10 days lost in Idaho and a 48-year-old hiker who was found alive after spending two weeks in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge.
Whenever you go hiking, it's vital to pack the 10 essentials including an emergency blanket or shelter and it's a good idea to bring a satellite communications device such as a Garmin InReach so that you can signal for help regardless of whether or not you have cell service. Always tell someone where you are going and when you plan to be back so that they can raise the alarm if you don't return on time.
