An Alaskan hiker on the 13.6-mile Pioneer Peak Trail communicated with her husband and expressed concern about multiple bears nearby.
She was then chased off the trail by bears and lost her way.
A search was launched but lasted 35 hours with no result.
The hiker spotted rescue helicopters but the Guard aircrews couldn’t see her.
She had waterproof matches and was able to start a fire that night.
“It’s easy to see and hear an aircraft in the sky but can be very challenging to spot a person at night under canopy,” the RCC superintendent said.
“Being prepared for the unexpected is critical in the Alaskan outdoors.
“What you plan as a day hike can quickly turn into a multiday ordeal.”
In addition to carrying bear spray and matches, the RCC superintendent recommends brightly colored clothing, a personal locator beacon, and a satellite communications device.
A small, portable strobe light can also help pinpoint your location, but the beacon is key.
The hiker hiked down the mountain and emerged from the forest the next evening and waved down a ground search and rescue volunteer’s car about a mile from a trailhead.
Read more here:
https://www.ang.af.mil/Media/Article-Display/Article/2663958/lost-hiker-sought-by-alaska-guard-finds-her-way-to-safety/