Hiker lost in Canadian wilderness found alive, survived as temperatures dropped below zero amid heavy snowfall

Benastick was found walking down a service road in British Columbia’s Redfern-Keily Provincial Park, where he had been reported missing, according to CBC News. He was reported missing after he failed to return home from a 10-day hiking trip on October 17.

Benastick spent as many as 50 days in the mountainous Canadian tundra, with temperatures dropping below zero. There was also heavy snowfall.

“He’s in rough shape. But man, for 50 days out in that cold, he’s going to live,” Mike Reid, the manager of a nearby inn where the missing man’s parents had stayed during the search, told CBC.

‘It’s kind of unbelievable’

While tending to the service road, park workers found Benastick struggling to walk while being wrapped in a makeshift coat fashioned from a torn sleeping bag. “They had just started driving, and they said, ‘The hell is that person doing walking on this road?’ And he had two sticks, one in each hand, and it was Sam,” said Reid.

Upon getting closer, staffers recognised Benastick as the man over 120 people had been searching for over the last five weeks. They then went over to help him.

Although Benastick’s case was still open, the official search for him had been called off on October 28. It is unclear why he became so lost.

Benastick reportedly spent the first part of his trip with his car. He then proceeded to hike to a mountainside creek where he camped for up to 15 days, and then “moved down the valley and built a camp and shelter in a dried-out creek bed,” where he remained until he was found, police said.

Benastick’s family is relieved he is back. “It’s kind of unbelievable,” said his uncle, Al Benastick. “Imagine being out there, being that cold, for that long.”

Benastick’s family members said he is suffering from frostbite and smoke inhalation. However, he is expected to recover.

In a social media post, Benastick’s mom joked that he has “complained that he hasn’t caught one fish.” His grandmother has revealed she will be buying him a GPS for Christmas. “I don’t know his story [yet], but I’m sure it’s going to be friggin’ amazing,” she said.