A 19-year-old hiker, Matthew Read, who was reported missing since Sunday, has been found alive in Glacier National Park in Montana. The rescue operation involved the National Park Service, the Two Bear Air rescue organization, the US Border Patrol, the Flathead County Sheriff's office, and the North Valley and Flathead Search and Rescue agencies. The Two Bear Air rescue team detected Read's thermal heat signature in dense forest using an infrared camera.
The search, which began on Monday morning, was initiated after park rangers found his vehicle at a trailhead on Sunday. Read was last heard from on Friday, after setting off for a solo hike. When rescuers finally reached Read, he was reported to have been "somewhat responsive" and had to be airlifted out of the area with a 175-foot hoist.
Read is now said to be in stable condition after receiving medical care. The National Park Service says that he got trapped after slipping into a drainage on the east side of the mountain and lost his phone, water bottle, and shoes in chest-deep snow. James Heckman, the chief pilot with Two Bear Air, notes that Read likely endured harsh weather conditions during his ordeal.
Source: People