Two hikers who disappeared for eight days in the Alaskan wilderness have been found alive. It’s thought that the pair had become disoriented by the extended light conditions in Alaska at this time of year.
On August 10, Jonas Bare, 50, and Cynthia Hovsepian, 37, of Tennessee, left a vacation rental in Fairbanks where they were staying on vacation and drove their rented Jeep about 60 miles to the Chena Hot Springs Resort to go for a hike.
Though family members said that Bare is an experienced hiker, a Facebook post written the day before they left revealed Bare is no stranger to getting lost in the wild.
“Finally have a signal as we leave base camp tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. in Denali. A checklist range of the great four. I'm not going to get lost like I did 10 years ago in Australia and Katoomba Range."
On August 11, however, the couple didn’t check out of their rental property as planned. When their belongings were found inside, the alarm was raised and police discovered their vehicle at the trailhead.
An extensive search and rescue operation involving helicopters, ATVs and a canine unit yielded no results and as the days passed, concern for the couple grew. Hovsepian is reportedly visually impaired and requires a cane.
On Friday night, resort guests spotted Bare just outside the resort and led him to Alaska State Troopers. He then guided them to his wife, who was found only a couple of miles from their car. The rescue mission took about three hours to complete. It’s not yet known how the pair managed to survive for so long in the wild.
Hikers are reminded to learn navigation, know what to do if they have to spend the night in the wild, and to always carry the 10 essentials on any day hike.
