### Missing Hiker Found Alive After Six Weeks in Canadian Wilderness

A hiker who had been missing for more than six weeks in the remote wilderness of northwestern Canada has been found alive this week, authorities confirmed. Sam Benastick, who was reported missing on October 19, had ventured into the backcountry of Redfern-Kiely Provincial Park in British Columbia’s northern Rockies and failed to return.

Some good fortune came his way when he was spotted by two men on their way to work on the Redfern Lake trail. Recognizing Benastick from the missing person reports, the men swiftly transported him to a hospital, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).

Recounting his ordeal to the police, Benastick revealed that he initially stayed in his car for a couple of days. He then moved on to a mountainside creek where he camped for 10 to 15 days. Running low on options, he relocated farther into a valley and built a shelter in a dried-out creek bed. It was in this new location that he endured until he managed to find his way back to the trailhead road and encountered the trail workers.

The discovery of Benastick alive astonished everyone involved in the search efforts. "Finding Sam alive is the absolute best outcome. After all the time he was missing, it was feared that this would not be the outcome," said Corporal Madonna Saunderson, an RCMP spokesperson in British Columbia.

Dealing with extremely harsh conditions, Benastick was using two walking sticks for support when he was found and had repurposed his sleeping bag into fabric wraps for his legs. The temperature in the area had plummeted to as low as -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit), making his survival even more extraordinary, according to BBC News.

Adam Hawkins, a search manager from Prince George Search and Rescue, remarked to the BBC about the severity of the conditions, emphasizing how challenging it is for anyone to survive with limited supplies, equipment, and food. When he was found, Benastick was described as being in "rough shape," but he is expected to recover, noted Mike Reid, the general manager of a nearby inn where Benastick's family had stayed during initial search efforts.

Although the massive search operation launched after Benastick went missing was called off at the end of October, police now plan to gather more details about his ordeal once his condition improves. The mystery surrounding what transpired in those six weeks remains to be fully understood.