What began as a simple day run turned into a life-threatening, month-long ordeal when a man lost his way in a Washington state park.
Robert Schock set off on July 31 with his dog, Freddy, intending to complete a 20-mile run but soon realized the North Cascades National Park trail he remembered was altered, leading him off course. "I'm not a hiker... I want to finish a course as fast as I can and come back home," he told PEOPLE, recalling his minimal supplies: just shorts, a small backpack, and his dog's pan.
Without food or phone service, Schock survived nearly a month in the wilderness, relying on limited "pretty nasty" berries and a single mushroom for sustenance. On just the third day, Schock told his only companion, Freddy, to find his way home. "I wasn't doing well," he said.
Shock's mother, Jan Thompson, reported him missing on August 5, after Freddy was found alone near the trail, but the Sheriff's Office offered little comfort.
"The fact that Rob left his car window halfway down on the passenger side and his wallet in the car led the deputy to believe Rob went into the wilderness with no intention of coming out." Thompson told PEOPLE, adding "I knew that wasn't the case."
Weakened and exhausted, Schock's final attempt to call for help came on August 30. North Cascades National Park he recalled, adding that he decided to "scream one last time." Luckily, members of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association happened to be working on a nearby trail and heard him.
Schock was airlifted to a hospital, where he spent a month recovering from near-starvation and exhaustion. Reflecting on the experience, he said, "I don't want to go to that particular region for quite some time." Thompson expressed immense gratitude, calling his rescue "a happy ending" to an unimaginable experience.
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