University of Wisconsin-Madison alum and journalist Alec Luhn, who went missing while hiking in a Norwegian national park, has been found alive, the Red Cross confirmed.
“I think it’s a miracle. I’m so grateful to all the people who were involved in the rescue,” said Luhn’s wife, Viktoria Silchenko, who told Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang she is traveling to Norway on Aug. 7 to see him. “It’s the best day of my life.”
Luhn, who hails from Stoughton, was found by a rescue helicopter just north of a glacier called Nedre Buarbreen at about 11:30 a.m. Norwegian time (4:30 a.m. central time in the United States) on rocky terrain, wearing a red jacket and waving for help.
The rescue was made in an area that search teams had attempted to reach the day before, but were hindered by severe weather conditions.
“The conditions have been very challenging, with difficult terrain, poor visibility, a lot of rain and high water levels,” said Stig Hope, a Red Cross volunteer and head of the operations leadership team at Folgefonna.
A rescuer and a doctor were sent down from the helicopter to retrieve him.
“He has been found, conscious, and taken by helicopter to the Haukeland hospital. We are very happy,” Hardanger police chief Øystein Torsnes said after the rescue.
Response leader Svein Buer said Luhn was found with some injuries to his legs and feet, and police described him as seriously, but not critically injured. He was transported to Haukeland Hospital.
Luhn’s brother, Brian, posted on Facebook that Luhn had a broken femur.
The rescue was the first sign of life for Luhn since July 31, when he left for the solo hike in southwestern Norway. Silchenko said she wasn’t worried about not having contact with Luhn, but when he missed his return flight to the U.K. she alerted authorities.
Since then, over 50 people across various organizations — including the Red Cross, local police and an alpine rescue group — began the extensive search efforts.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin journalist Alec Luhn found after going missing on Norwegian solo hike
Reporting by Jack Albright, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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