Any time a missing hiker is found alive after spending 10 days lost in the wild it's cause for celebration, but when that hiker is 89 years old, it's about as close to a hiking miracle as you can get.
Idaho officials got to celebrate such an event yesterday when they announced that missing octogenarian Bing Olbum had been located and brought home after failing to return from a multi-day backpacking trip.
It was August 1 when Olbum set off for what is reported to be a five-day hike from the Hunter Creek Trailhead in Salmon-Challis National Forest. On August 8, however, Custer County Sheriff's Office announced on Facebook that Olbum had not returned to his planned exit point.
Mountain rescue teams mobilized to search the surrounding area, but it was local residents who ultimately discovered Olbum's camp late in the evening on August 10. In a Facebook post, the CCSO reported that the volunteers had ventured out on horseback and located Olbum, bringing him home at around 3 a.m., writing: "It is an extraordinary outcome for this incident."
Though few other details have been provided about Olbum's condition or how he survived his ordeal, it's clear he did a few things right. He communicated where he was going and when he was planning to return, and was carrying survival equipment for overnights in the wild.
The Sheriff's Office has a few other ideas as to how he made it out alive, including the help of the community and the Olbum's own fortitude.
"Sheriff Levi Maydole is thankful for the relentless efforts of our wonderful community in providing this outcome. Bing's will to survive has resulted in an unbelievably good ending to this incident."
This news follows a run of good luck for missing hikers this summer, including a 34-year-old California man who survived 10 days in the wild drinking water from his hiking boot, a 48-year-old hiker who was found alive after spending two weeks in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge and a 70-year-old man who spent five days lost in the Sierra Nevada wilderness.
How to survive a night in the wild
The majority hikers make it home safe and well after their adventures, but sometimes, things do go wrong. The top reasons for hikers getting lost in the wild include straying from the trail, bad weather and falling.
Hikers who have survived time lost in the backcountry credit keeping warm, seeking shelter, staying hydrated and finding fuel with their success, as well as always going out prepared.
For a hike of any length, it's advised to carry a means of keeping warm, such as a down jacket as well as an emergency blanket or shelter. Make sure you carry plenty of water and a water filter so that you can source more if you need it. It's also recommended to carry a map and compass (and know how to use them), a headlamp and to tell someone where you are going. Learn more in our article on how to survive a night on a mountain.
