Missing man found ‘alive and alert’ on Isle Royale
Craig Berg
A screenshot from a U.S. Coast Guard video of a helicopter crew hoisting a basket with Craig Berg, a man from downstate Michigan who was rescued Saturday on Isle Royale National Park after going missing for days while hiking. (U.S. Coast Guard, via Facebook)
Craig Berg
A screenshot from a U.S. Coast Guard video of a helicopter crew hoisting a basket with Craig Berg, a man from downstate Michigan who was rescued Saturday on Isle Royale National Park after going missing for days while hiking. (U.S. Coast Guard, via Facebook)
Trending
ISLE ROYALE - Authorities say a 70-year-old hiker is "alive and alert " after being found Saturday on Isle Royale, nearly a week after family reported him missing.
According to the Isle Royale National Park Facebook page, searchers were able to locate Craig Berg of downstate Royal Oak with the help of backpackers.
He was reportedly injured and hypothermic when found, according to a U.S. Coast Guard news release.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City hoisted and transported Berg to Marquette Regional Airport in Gwinn, where he was taken to UP Health System-Marquette for emergency care, the Coast Guard stated.
Berg's son, Evan, said in a telephone interview with TV6 that his father was in "rough shape, but he's okay," adding that he asked for food and water.
"We're just so grateful," the younger Berg said of the support they had in the search and on social media.
The Keweenaw County Sheriff's Office confirmed Friday to the Daily Mining Gazette it had joined in the search for Berg, who had failed to return home as planned Sept. 5 after starting a solo hiking trip at Isle Royale on Aug. 27. His family reported him missing Sept. 6.
Isle Royale has no roads or wheeled vehicles allowed, and public access is only by ferry. Ground search teams must cover the island's 200 square miles of boreal forest and rocky ridges.
The park earlier had said "search operations included repeated foot patrols, aviation overflights, and drone use. Ordinarily, aircraft are allowed only in certain park areas and drones are prohibited; however, during emergencies aircraft and drones are granted special operational approval. Thank you to all who have provided information to park staff."
On Friday, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Portage and helicopter crew from Air Station Traverse City transported Michigan State Police troopers and K-9 units to Isle Royale to aid in search efforts, according to the Coast Guard news release.
"We're thankful that missing hiker, Craig Berg, was found alive and alert on Isle Royale," said Lt. Ben Eckola, MSP Eighth District public information officer. "The collaboration and hard work of everyone involved in the search helped locate Craig safely. We appreciate the Michigan State Police personnel who helped, as well as our partners at the U.S. Coast Guard, National Park Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Keweenaw County Sheriff's Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, and Minnesota Department of Public Safety. We're also thankful to the fellow hikers who helped, Isle Royale Seaplanes, and No One Left Behind K9 Search and Rescue. Everyone's efforts played an important part in finding Craig."
"This rescue is a testament to teamwork and what can be accomplished when first responders and members of the community come together," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Wendy Janson, the Coast Guard's command duty officer for the Sector Northern Great Lakes command center. "We are extremely grateful we were able to get Mr. Berg safely off the island and deliver him to the medical care he needed."