On a cold, unforgiving island in Lake Superior, a 70-year-old man outlasted the clock and the odds.
Story Snapshot
- Michigan State Police found Craig Berg alive and alert on Isle Royale after nearly a week.
- Good Samaritan backpackers helped guide troopers and dogs to his location.
- The United States Coast Guard hoisted him to a helicopter and flew him to Marquette.
- Officials reported hypothermia and injuries, but a stable rescue and transport.
A remote search ends with a hoist into the sky
Michigan State Police troopers, guided by backpackers and K-9 teams, located 70-year-old hiker Craig Berg on Isle Royale after he went missing on September 5. Troopers reported that Berg was alive and alert when they reached him.
A United States Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted Berg from the island and flew him to Marquette Regional Airport in Michigan for treatment. National coverage noted he showed signs of hypothermia but remained responsive.
The search spanned one of the most rugged national parks in the country. Isle Royale rises from Lake Superior with bogs, cliffs, and thick forest. The island has few roads and fewer exits. Weather swings quickly. Radios can fail in the trees.
Crews relied on foot teams and dogs, then timed the helicopter window to break through wind and low ceilings. The hoist was the safest way to move an older, injured patient out fast.
What stacked the odds against survival
Time and terrain drive survival in wilderness cases. Research on search and rescue shows most missions end within hours, and survival odds drop the longer someone is lost.
One well-cited analysis found about 93 percent of searches close within a day, and that survival declines when cases go longer than 24 hours.
That pattern shows why a week on Isle Royale is so rare. It also explains the urgency to bring in air assets the moment the subject was found.
A 70-year-old hiker, lost for a week on a large island in the middle of Lake Superior, has been found, after search and rescue teams had nearly given up hope. pic.twitter.com/LCC2YaEv1K
— CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil (@CBSEveningNews) September 15, 2026
Hikers make up a large share of national park rescues year after year. A review of park data and field reports shows hikers account for the plurality of incidents, far above climbers or boaters.
National Geographic’s summary of park records placed day hikers at roughly four in ten search cases across a decade. Isle Royale fits that picture. The park’s own incident history shows repeat rescues over decades, often tied to navigation errors, fatigue, and changing weather.
The chain of small decisions that saved a life
Backpackers flagged what they saw and did not assume “someone else” would call it in. Troopers put boots and dogs on the ground, not once but until they had a lead. Commanders called the helicopter when it mattered, not after paperwork.
That is the playbook that works, and it matches common sense: neighbors step up, local officers act, and federal responders bring the heavy lift when only they can. Each link held, so the ending changed.
The 70-year-old hiker found on Isle Royale Saturday is currently getting medical treatment after rescue teams say he was found injured and hypothermic.
The United States Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City helped rescue the missing hiker, Craig Berg. https://t.co/3LDHVDHRdC— KATV News (@KATVNews) September 14, 2026
The Coast Guard described Berg as injured and ailing at pickup, but alert when he left the island. Reporters added that he showed signs of hypothermia, which tracks with September cold, wet ground, and long nights on Lake Superior.
Officials often avoid medical detail to protect privacy. The key fact is clear and settled: the system found him alive, stabilized him, and moved him to care. For a week-long wilderness case, that is a win by any measure.
Lessons any hiker can use tomorrow morning
Trip plans save hours. Leave a route note with times and bail-out points. A simple satellite messenger or beacon can turn a week of risk into one hour of waiting. Bright layers beat camo in thick woods. Water and a thermal layer matter more than gourmet snacks.
Most hikers are found within a couple miles of the start point, so staying put after a wrong turn often speeds rescue. On an island like Isle Royale, patience and shelter can be the difference between seen and missed.
The Berg rescue will sit in training slides for years because it reaffirms what works. Responsible citizens reported signs. State police led the ground game. The United States Coast Guard closed the distance with a hoist and a straight shot to a hospital.
Sources:
nbcnews.com, news.uscg.mil, theguardian.com, freep.com, myupnow.com
