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A 70-year-old hiker, Craig Berg of Royal Oak, Michigan, was rescued Saturday after surviving nearly a week lost and injured in the remote wilderness of Isle Royale National Park, authorities announced. The Coast Guard and Michigan State Police led the search after Berg went missing on Thursday (September 5) during a solo backpacking trip on the Greenstone Trail, officials said in a statement published Sunday.
Berg was reported overdue by family on Friday (September 6) when he missed his scheduled ferry ride home. Search teams—including Michigan State Police troopers, K-9 units, backpackers, and local authorities—scoured the island’s dense forests, rocky terrain, and inland lakes for several days, according to the Coast Guard and park officials. The search was complicated by Isle Royale’s lack of roads, limited cell coverage, and rugged landscape.
On Saturday (September 12), two paddlers spotted Berg near Intermediate Lake and notified authorities, leading to his rescue. He was found “injured and hypothermic but alive and alert,” the Coast Guard said. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Traverse City hoisted Berg from the island and transported him to Marquette Regional Airport, where he was then taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.
State police Lt. Ben Eckola said, “The collaboration and hard work of everyone involved in the search helped locate Craig safely.” Senior Chief Petty Officer Wendy Janson of the Coast Guard’s Sector Northern Great Lakes command center added, “This rescue is a testament to teamwork and what can be accomplished when first responders and members of the community come together."
Isle Royale, the fifth-largest lake island in the world, covers over 200 square miles and is known for its isolation, challenging terrain, and limited access by only boat or seaplane. Officials say the successful rescue was the result of extensive coordination among multiple agencies, volunteers, and the local community. Berg is now recovering at a hospital in Michigan.