A 20-year-old hiker, Sam Benastick, who had been missing for over a month in the harsh Canadian wilderness, was discovered alive on Tuesday. Benastick was spotted on a service road in British Columbia’s Redfern-Keily Provincial Park, where he had embarked on a 10-day hiking trip and failed to return home on October 17. He spent a total of 50 days in the mountainous Canadian tundra, enduring sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall.
Benastick was found in a weakened state, barely able to walk and wearing a makeshift coat crafted from a torn sleeping bag. Despite his condition, Mike Reid, the manager of a local inn where Benastick’s parents were staying during the search, expressed optimism about his survival. “He’s in rough shape. But man, for 50 days out in that cold, he’s going to live,” Reid said.
Park employees stumbled upon Benastick while maintaining the service road. They were initially puzzled by the sight of a person struggling to walk, but as they approached, they recognized him as the missing hiker. Over 120 people had been searching the park for Benastick over the past five weeks. Upon recognizing him, they immediately rushed him to safety.
The official search for Benastick had been suspended on October 28, but his case remained open. The circumstances leading to his prolonged disappearance remain unclear. According to police, Benastick spent the initial part of his trip with his car, then hiked to a mountainside creek where he camped for up to 15 days. He later moved down the valley and built a camp and shelter in a dried-out creek bed, where he stayed until his rescue.
Benastick’s family expressed relief and disbelief at his return. His uncle, Al Benastick, said, “It’s kind of unbelievable. Imagine being out there, being that cold, for that long.” His mother shared a photo of him recuperating in a hospital bed, humorously noting that he was disappointed about not catching any fish.
Despite suffering from frostbite and smoke inhalation, Benastick is expected to make a full recovery. His grandmother plans to gift him a GPS for Christmas, anticipating that his survival story will be “friggin’ amazing.”