PressSplit
A runner lost his bearings in the forest and survived 30 days in the harsh wilderness. When he is close to death, he makes one last attempt at rescue.
Washington – Robert Schock’s trip to a national park was actually just supposed to be a jogging trip with his dog. Instead, the 39-year-old gets lost and struggles to survive for almost a month. With a happy ending: When he says he almost gave up hope, his cry for help is finally heard.
39-year-old American gets lost in a national park – then the fight for survival begins
His incredible story happened in early August, as Schock told the magazine People told at the end of October. His plan was to go running for around 20 miles (approx. 32 kilometers) in North Cascades National Park in Washington state and then drive back home.
A 39-year-old athlete no longer recognized his jogging route in North Cascades National Park (right) and got lost. © Instagram @robert.schock320 (left); imageBROKER PHILLIP NEFF / Imago (right)
“I’m an ultrarunner,” Schock explains People. “I am not a hiker. I don’t put on backpacks or go on multi-day trips. I don’t know how to fish. I want to finish a route as quickly as possible and get home again.” Accordingly, he was dressed lightly. He was only wearing a pair of shorts. And otherwise he only had his dog Freddy and a dog bowl with him in a small backpack.
Jogger sleeps in old bear caves and feeds on large mushroom
The 39-year-old actually knows the area well, says Schock. He had run the route several times in the past, but that was a few years ago. What he forgot: Severe forest fires in the region in 2021 and 2022 led to temporary closures of forest paths and changed the terrain. The path that Schock had already walked several times no longer existed. Because he was overcome by curiosity, he followed the destroyed path anyway – and eventually got lost.
Actually beautiful, but in the jogger’s case a nightmare: the North Cascades National Park in Washington state. © IMAGO / Cavan Images
It took him two days to realize the seriousness of the situation. The battery on his cell phone ran out on the second day, but Schock wouldn’t have had any reception in the national park. Eventually he began wandering through the woods and sleeping in uninhabited bear dens, he reports. A large mushroom he discovered also provided one of his few sources of food. “I ate that thing all day long and it tasted like a normal mushroom you would eat on a pizza or something,” he is quoted as saying. Nevertheless, mushrooms should not be eaten just like that. Many types of mushrooms can be life-threatening.
“I sat there naked and knew I wouldn’t survive the night.”
According to his story, during the time he was lost, he spotted a helicopter twice. However, his calls went unheard and the pilot did not spot him. In the days that followed, he occasionally called for help, but gradually gave up. “I wasn’t doing very well,” Schock said People.
On August 30th his situation came to a head. Schock went on to say that he lost control of his bowels. He felt as if he was “near death”. He told the media: “I sat there naked and knew I wouldn’t survive the night.” “So I thought to myself, ‘I’m going to scream one last time.'”
Jogger is rescued after 30 days in the forest – followed by a month of hospitalization for his recovery
And indeed: this time he was lucky. Members of the Pacific Northwest Trail Associationwho were returning to their camp after carrying out maintenance work on a hiking trail, heard the 39-year-old and rushed to his aid. Schock was flown by helicopter to a hospital, where he was only able to eat intravenously for three days and was reunited with his family.
After spending a total of a month in the hospital to fully recover, he returned home. According to his own statement, he will not be going back to the national park for the time being. Instead, he wants to put the incident behind him and concentrate on his other hobby, music, which he pursues with passion. Incidentally, there was also a happy ending for Freddy the dog: like that PeopleMagazine writes, the animal was discovered and rescued out of shock.
An animal cry for help recently shocked Hesse: Dog Liv was actually abandoned in the forest to die. It was only by chance that a hunting tenant found her. (nz)
