A 70-year-old Royal Oak man missing for a week in Michigan’s remote Isle Royale National Park was rescued Saturday, found alive and alert after being spotted by fellow backpackers, authorities said.
Craig Berg had traveled to the 207-square-mile island park, near Michigan’s border with Canada, for an extended solo hike. He was due back on Sept. 5 to catch the ferry home but never showed up, according to his wife, Debbie Berg.
“He went on an extended hike there and did not show up when he was supposed to, to catch the ferry back,” Debbie Berg told the Detroit Free Press.
The park’s terrain is rugged and largely cut off from modern conveniences — there is no cell service, and search teams could not rely on drones or motorized vehicles to cover the ground. Berg was hypothermic and injured when he was found, though the extent of his injuries and what led to his disappearance have not been disclosed.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted Berg out of the wilderness, video released by the U.S. Coast Guard shows, and he was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
The search drew in agencies from across the region, including 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. On Friday, a 45-foot Coast Guard response boat and a helicopter crew ferried state troopers and K-9 units to the island to join the effort.
“We’re thankful that missing hiker, Craig Berg, was found alive and alert on Isle Royale,” said Lt. Ben Eckola, Michigan State Police Eighth District public information officer.
Eckola also credited the hikers who first spotted Berg, along with Isle Royale Seaplanes and No One Left Behind K9 Search and Rescue.
“Everyone’s efforts played an important part in finding Craig,” Eckola said.
