NEW YORK — A man who went missing for more than five weeks deep in the Canadian wilderness has been found alive, authorities have confirmed.
Sam Benastick was reported missing on Oct. 19 after not returning from a trip to the back country of British Columbia in Canada, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia.
But on Tuesday at approximately 11:30 a.m. -- more than five weeks after Benastick was initially reported missing -- Northern Rockies RCMP were notified that he had been located by two people who were headed to the Redfern Lake trail for work when they saw a man walking toward them and recognized him to be Sam Benastick when they approached him, officials said.
The two men immediately took Benastick to the hospital where police attended and confirmed him to be the man reported missing, authorities said.
“Sam told police that he stayed in his car for a couple of days and then walked to a creek, mountain side where he camped out for 10-15 days,” according to the British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Benastick then reportedly moved down into the valley and built a camp and shelter in a dried-out creek bed before he was fortunate enough to find the two men he flagged down and taken to safety, officials said.
“Finding Sam alive is the absolute best outcome. After all the time he was missing, it was feared that this was would not be the outcome,” said Cpl Madonna Saunderson of British Columbia Royal Canadian Mounted Police Communications.
“The RCMP would like to sincerely thank the Fort Nelson and North Peace and Search and Rescue teams including other Search and Rescue jurisdictions that provided mutual aid support, the Canadian Rangers along with many local volunteers with extensive back country knowledge of the area,” authorities said. “The time, effort and resources put in to locate Sam from the time of notification he was missing was beyond measure. We are thankful for the great outcome.”