‘It’s just a miracle’: Man found alive after 14 days in the Kentucky wilderness

Scott Hern, a 48-year-old from Ohio, was found alive Saturday after spending 14 days in Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest. Rescuers had all but given up hope and were ready for ‘sad news.’

A man was found alive after 14 days in the Kentucky wilderness in what rescuers are calling a miracle for the 48-year-old.

The Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team had been actively searching for Scott Hern since July 16, about 10 days after he was last was seen on Tower Rock Trail in southern Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest.

Multiple agencies helped look for Hern through “heavy terrain” until Saturday afternoon, when they found a shoe print and evidence of a walking stick “in an area that few travel” near Bell Falls, the Wolfe County team posted on Facebook.

“They continued pushing up the creek when they heard someone yell for help,” the agency said. “The five-person team then worked for some time to locate Scott up a steep embankment below a cliff line.”

The team “couldn’t be happier” to have found Hern after after he was gone for two weeks and went “12 days without any food or water,” the team wrote. “We were persistent in our search, but hope was fading.”

Hern was carried, airlifted and transported to a local hospital. He was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday and is currently recovering at home.

‘Best hug of both our lives,’ searcher says

Eric Wolterman, a Wolfe County Search & Rescue team member, took to Facebook to share a few thoughts a day after Hern was rescued. 

Wolterman, who doesn’t consider himself a particularly religious person, took some time to say a prayer for “Scott Hern and his family” early Saturday morning. 

“To be honest, praying isn’t something that I do too often. We were working on this operation since Tuesday, and most of the team went into the day pretty much with the thought that this was going to be a recovery mission,” Wolterman wrote. “So, I said a prayer knowing the family would probably be getting some very sad news that day.”

They were set to embark on one last search in the hopes of finding Hern. 

“We were in the roughest terrain you could imagine and it’s very dangerous for anyone to even be out there,” he said.

Wolterman and his team spent hours cutting through vegetation in the search area, eventually finding a few muddy footprints. 

They had stopped to regroup when another team member heard a “faint noise.”

“We paused and we shouted ‘who is that?’ Thinking it was another search team,” he wrote. “I then heard ‘help.’ We took off in the direction. As we got closer (we) asked what his name was and he (said) ‘Scott Hern’ I have never moved faster uphill in my entire life.”

Wolterman was the first to make contact with Hern, introducing himself and reassuring him they were going to get him out. 

“He looked at me and said ‘’Thank you so much. Will you give me a hug?’” he wrote. “I got teary-eyed and gave him a big hug. I think it was the best hug of both of our lives.”

Hern is in ‘recovery mode,’ lucky to be alive

Hern is currently recovering from his stint in the wild, with the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team reporting earlier this week that he had begun to consume solid food. 

John May, Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team chief, told USA TODAY on Wednesday that Hern is still “extremely weak,” struggling to walk and talk.

“I think he’s still in recovery mode, but he is home now,” May said.

“We were very concerned about his survivability at that point,” May said. “And on Saturday morning, I even met with the family again and said, ‘It’s not looking really good.’ We’ve not found him. We’re two weeks into this.”

May says the likelihood of survivability was “unheard of” since Hern was a fairly new hiker, had little experience and didn’t have many camping supplies with him.

“We didn’t expect to find him alive. We really didn’t,” May said.

Hern’s family was “super appreciative” of all the support received, sharing a picture of Hern on Monday sporting a “big smile.” 

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also extended kudos to the team on Facebook. 

“What a remarkable outcome,” Beshear said. First lady Britainy Beshear “and I are praying for a speedy recovery for Mr. Hern. Thank you to the Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team and everyone who assisted in rescue efforts.”