Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 14

Coast Guard Rescues 70-Year-Old Hiker Craig Berg After 1 Week Missing on Isle Royale

Updated

Updated · Fox News · Sep 14

Coast Guard Rescues 70-Year-Old Hiker Craig Berg After 1 Week Missing on Isle Royale

Q: Did aggressive wolves force this experienced hiker off his path and into a near-fatal wilderness nightmare?

There is no evidence so far that wolves forced Craig Berg off his route. What is documented is that Berg, an experienced 70-year-old hiker from Royal Oak, disappeared during a solo trip in Isle Royale National Park, was missing for 11 days, and was found alive but injured, hypothermic and severely dehydrated. Later reporting from his family said he got lost on or near an unmarked trail, entered a marsh, and lost his cellphone and wallet early in the ordeal. Wolf activity is part of the broader context on Isle Royale. Park officials had closed several campgrounds and off-trail zones before Berg’s disappearance because wolves had been pawing at tents, digging into camps and dragging away gear. Those closures may have affected hiking and camping plans in the eastern part of the park. But neither the National Park Service nor other rescue agencies have said wolves confronted Berg, chased him, or directly caused his injuries or disappearance. The strongest available explanation is that Berg became disoriented in difficult, remote terrain after leaving or missing his route, then endured days without reliable water or communication. His son said he was trying to find people after losing essential items in the marsh. His wife later said he improvised an antenna from broken earphones to use with a portable radio while stranded. Until the Park Service releases a fuller timeline, any claim that aggressive wolves drove him into danger remains speculative, not established fact.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 14

Craig Berg, 70, was found alive and alert Saturday in Isle Royale National Park after disappearing Sept. 5 during an extended solo hike.
Coast Guard and Michigan State Police crews rescued Berg after backpackers spotted him; he was injured and suffering from hypothermia when a helicopter hoisted him out.
Gwinn Regional Airport received Berg for emergency medical evaluation, while officials withheld details on what happened during the week he was missing and the extent of his injuries.
Multiple agencies searched the remote Lake Superior island with foot patrols, K-9 units, a 45-foot Coast Guard boat, drones and seaplanes.
Isle Royale’s limited infrastructure and often unreliable cell service complicated the search on one of the least-visited U.S. national parks.