Kentucky
Search for missing man in Kentucky ends in ‘miracle’
WOLFE COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – An effort to find a missing man ended in what rescuers are describing as a miracle over the weekend.
“I am personally not that religious, but ‘miracle’ is the word that comes to mind,” said David Fifer, an advanced practice paramedic with RedSTAR Wilderness.
On July 6, Scott Allen Hern from Ironton, Ohio, was seen in the Red River Gorge area on his way to see Bell Falls. He wasn’t seen again for 14 days.
“Apparently, he got a little disoriented; he got tired. He tried to take a nap or a sleep under this rock shelter and took a tumble while sleeping and injured himself,” said John May, chief of Wolfe County Search and Rescue.
Hern’s car was ticketed the next day in the park since it didn’t have an overnight parking pass. However, it wasn’t until July 13 when a missing person’s report filed triggered an alert to Wolfe County Search and Rescue.
“That evening, I received a call about 8 o’clock, and once we realized he hadn’t been seen since the 6th and this was now the 13th, we dispatched team members that evening,” May said.
Using things like Hern’s diary, search and rescue teams began the daunting process of searching the rugged terrain, with teams from across the state assisting.
Fifer with RedSTAR Wilderness explained rescuers’ concerns, saying, “When somebody is not found for a couple of days, you do tend to think you are looking for maybe a deceased individual.”
John May even went as far as clarifying that “Finding him alive was a very remote possibility. I had even started to prep the family, saying, ‘I didn’t think this was going to turn out well.’”
However, this weekend, on the final push of the search, their miracle happened.
“It actually began with a report that they were hearing cries for help – that was the first report that came across the radio,” Fifer recalled. “And then when they confirmed it was actually Mr. Hern who they had found. It’s just an amazing feeling”
“Fortunately, he was alert enough to yell out for help,” said May. “They would have not found him most likely where he was at. It was just too thick underneath the cliff line.”
After 14 days in the wilderness, Scott Hern was severely dehydrated but safe. He was immediately taken to a hospital for further care but not before making a request to rescuers.
“One of our team members that got to him first, the first thing Scott said to him is ‘Would you give me a hug?’ Kind of gets you choked up when you hear it cause he had been out there for so long and didn’t think he was going to live, and he just wanted a hug,” said May.
Hern was reported to have only six bottles of water with him and a bag of trail mix, which he finished on July 8, meaning he went 12 days without food and water. As of this report, he is doing well and on his way to recovery.
Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — One person is dead and another person is in custody following an afternoon incident in Georgetown.
According to Georgetown Police, officers responded to the 200 block of Hutchins Drive around 5:30 p.m. for reports of an unknown problem. When they arrived, they located one person dead inside the home and another person with injuries nearby; that person was transported to a local hospital, and their current status is unknown.
One person remains in custody, police say. GPD asks the public to avoid the area, where a scene remains active.
This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) – Gov. Andy Beshear announced today that Kentucky has secured $105 million in FEMA disaster funds for six hospitals.
The awards are for expenses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2020 to May 11, 2023.
The hospitals include:
- AdventHealth Manchester
- Appalachian Regional Healthcare
- Baptist Health
- Pikeville Medical Center
- T.J. Samson Community Hospital (Glasgow)
- UofL Health
- Kentucky Emergency Management
The governor said the funding is much needed years later.
“What our hospitals did during the pandemic is nothing short of heroic, and my administration worked hard to make sure the reimbursements they were owed under the president’s emergency declaration were delivered,” Beshear said. “While this funding is being received years later, it couldn’t come at a better time, as our hospitals face challenges due to federal Medicaid cuts. This $105 million will make a difference for these hospitals and the Kentucky families who depend on them, which is why today’s news is so great.”
Sentiments echoed by the commonwealth’s emergency management director.
“Our first responders and hospitals went to great lengths to protect the lives of Kentuckians during the pandemic, and I am grateful that we were able to secure this funding and provide the reimbursements these hospitals and our team deserve,” said Eric Gibson. “We are processing the funds as quickly as possible so teams can put those dollars to good use as they continue to care for and protect people across our commonwealth.”
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky Basketball head coach Mark Pope and his staff have been busy on the recruiting trail during the Memphis Nike EYBL session, and now the Wildcats are beginning to line up official visits with top prospects.
According to Jacob Polacheck of KSR, class of 2027 4-star shooting guard Chase Lumpkin is planning to visit Kentucky in the near future as his recruitment continues to take off nationally.
Lumpkin, a 6-foot-4, 170-pound guard from Powder Springs, Georgia, has quickly become one of the hottest names in the 2027 recruiting class following a strong recent stretch of play on the EYBL circuit. He currently holds nearly 20 scholarship offers, including Kentucky, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Indiana, Louisville, and several others, with more programs expected to enter the mix soon.
Kentucky officially offered Lumpkin in late April after new assistant coach Mo Williams visited his school. However, the Wildcats had already been building a relationship with the talented guard since last summer. Lumpkin also made two visits to Lexington during the 2025-26 season.
“They showed a lot of belief in me,” Lumpkin tells Polacheck of KSR. “They watched me last session and, of course, were here today. It’s just showing that I can come in and make an impact as a freshman. Hopefully, I can do that one day.”
Lumpkin added that his recruitment remains open and other schools still have time to make a push as his stock continues to rise nationally.
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