A 20-year-old hiker who went missing on Oct. 17 has been found alive in a remote park, approximately 155 miles northwest of Fort St. John, B.C.
Sam Benastick, who survived over five weeks in the backcountry, originally planned on staying at the provincial park for a 10-day camping trip.
He set out on Oct. 7 in Redfern-Keily Park, which is known for its impressive peaks and alpine tundras. Despite the breathtaking views, however, the park is less than hospitable as it does not have any potable drinking water. It’s also home to black and grizzly bears.
Over 120 volunteers from across B.C. embarked on a search and rescue team shortly after he was reported missing. According to Adam Hawkins, a volunteer from Prince George, the park was covered in more than 15 cm of snow at the time, which made it incredibly challenging.
Temperatures in the area also dipped as low as -20C.
Despite their best efforts, search and rescue teams were not able to locate Benastick and the search was officially called off on Oct. 28, though the case remained open.
Benastick’s mother, however, never gave up hope. She told media outlets that her son was well experienced in the backcountry and was well-equipped with a toque, warm gloves, a hatchet, rain gear, and peanut butter.
After he went missing, she herself also ‘scoured’ various rivers and peaks, looking for hints on where he may have disappeared to.
The Rescue
On Nov. 26, nearly five weeks after he went missing, Benastick was spotted by a group of surveyors who were marking the roads around well sites.
The team had been in that particular area for nearly a week, with several snowmobiles and four-wheelers on the road.
That morning, they had just begun to drive when an individual saw Benastick walking on the road. It didn’t take long for them to realize that he was the hiker that went missing weeks ago.
According to the workers, Benastick had cut his sleeping bag into large pieces and had wrapped it around his leg.
The 20-year-old, who survived over a month in the wilderness, nearly fainted from weakness as he was put into an ambulance.
Benastick later told the RCMP that he had stayed in his vehicle for a couple of days before walking to a mountainside and creek, where he stayed for two weeks. He then travelled downward and built a shelter in a dried-out creek, where he had been staying until his rescue.
A GPS For Christmas
Benastick’s grandmother, Eileen Stevens, was ‘elated’ to know that her grandson was found alive, though she said she never gave up hope.
She described him as a passionate fisherman and an experienced hiker. She also said he had done tons of research before the trip and was well-prepared.
She doesn’t believe he would have gone missing purposely for so many weeks and joked that she will be giving him a hiking GPS for the holidays.
