“HELP! I’M LOST!” — 70-YEAR-OLD HIKER SAYS HE SHOUTED FOR HELP 10,000 TIMES DURING 11-DAY ORDEAL

ISLE ROYALE, MICHIGAN — For 11 terrifying days, Craig Berg had no idea whether anyone would find him.

The 70-year-old retired engineer had set out alone for a hiking trip through Isle Royale National Park, a remote wilderness island in Lake Superior.

He had prepared carefully for the journey. But just days into the trip, a wrong turn sent him into a swamp — and a single accident left him without his phone, navigation and ability to contact the outside world.

For the next 11 days, Berg would survive alone in the wilderness, rationing his food, searching for drinking water and repeatedly shouting for help.

He estimates that he yelled “Help! I’m lost!” around 10,000 times.

HE SET OUT ON A SOLO HIKING TRIP

Berg arrived in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula on August 27, 2026, before taking a ferry to Isle Royale the following day.

He had spent months preparing for the trip and had previously completed another solo hiking trip at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

This time, however, he was planning to spend several days crossing the remote island.

Berg had upgraded some of his equipment, downloaded the AllTrails mapping app and brought supplies for the journey.

He also carried a phone capable of satellite communication.

But the wilderness proved far more difficult than he had expected.

A WRONG TURN CHANGED EVERYTHING

On the fourth day of his trip, Berg somehow left the trail.

He eventually found himself in a swamp.

The ground beneath him was so soft that he compared it to quicksand.

He fell into the wet terrain, soaking his clothes, backpack and food.

His boots came off but he managed to retrieve them.

His phone, however, disappeared into the swamp.

That meant Berg had suddenly lost one of his most important tools for navigation and communication.

He was alone.

And he had no easy way to tell rescuers where he was.

HIS FAMILY DIDN’T KNOW WHERE HE WAS

Back home, Berg’s wife, Debbie, became increasingly worried as the days passed.

Berg had planned to return in time to run a 5K race with his son Evan on September 7.

But he never came home.

According to Berg, it took several days before his absence was fully recognised because he had expected to remain on the island until his planned return.

His family began fearing the worst.

Debbie later recalled thinking about all the dangers Berg could face in the remote wilderness, including wolves and moose.

She also pushed authorities for a wider search of the enormous island.

HE RATIONED HIS FOOD TO STAY ALIVE

As the days passed, Berg realised he had to make his supplies last.

He had brought freeze-dried meals, but his food supply was slowly disappearing.

At times, he said, he ate only every other day.

Eventually, the fuel for his camping stove ran out.

Water became an even more urgent problem.

Berg found ponds and other sources of water and treated what he could with chlorine tablets.

At one point, he drank from a small pond that he believed was also used by moose.

He later described the water as some of “the most disgusting water” he had ever consumed.

But he had little choice.

He needed to stay hydrated if he was going to survive.

HE KEPT A JOURNAL IN CASE HE DIDN’T SURVIVE

During his ordeal, Berg began keeping a written journal.

He recorded what was happening each day, including his hopes that rescuers would eventually find him.

The journal became a way to document his experience — and, potentially, leave behind an explanation of what had happened if he failed to make it home.

At one point, Berg even managed to improvise a way to listen to radio broadcasts.

He used wires from headphones and an old MP3 player to create an antenna.

To his surprise, he was able to pick up a radio station broadcasting from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Hearing another human voice gave him a connection to the outside world while he remained isolated in the wilderness.

WILDLIFE WAS EVERYWHERE — BUT NO RESCUERS

Berg encountered signs of wildlife during his time alone.

He saw a moose and noticed wolf scat in the area.

At night, he heard barred owls.

Despite the presence of animals, however, there was still no sign of the people he desperately needed to find him.

He continued trying to conserve his energy and locate water.

Every day became another battle to stay alive.

THEN, ON DAY 11, HE SAW SOMETHING

On the 11th day after becoming lost, Berg heard sounds coming from a nearby lake.

Then he saw something on the water.

Two people were travelling by kayak.

Berg immediately realised this could be his chance.

He moved toward a clearing and began screaming.

“Help! I’m lost!”

He kept shouting as loudly as he could.

According to Berg, he may have repeated the words around 10,000 times throughout his ordeal.

This time, however, someone heard him.

The two kayakers approached and discovered Berg alive.

They contacted officials involved in the search, setting in motion the rescue that would finally bring him home.

A COAST GUARD HELICOPTER FINALLY BROUGHT HIM HOME

After the kayakers found him, a U.S. Coast Guard crew was called in.

Berg was rescued by helicopter and taken for medical treatment.

Officials said he was found injured and hypothermic.

WXYZ reported that he was also treated for dehydration before eventually returning home to Royal Oak, Michigan.

For his family, the moment they learned Berg had been found alive was overwhelming.

His son Evan recalled yelling at the top of his lungs when he heard the news:

“He’s alive!”

After days of uncertainty, the family finally knew that Craig was coming home.

“I’M STILL PROCESSING”

Berg has since spoken openly about the psychological impact of what happened.

Although he said he was physically recovering, he acknowledged that the experience had affected him emotionally.

He told PEOPLE that he still had “some things to sort out” after the ordeal.

“Physically, I’m okay. Mentally, I’m still processing. Emotionally, I’m getting there, but I have a ways to go still,” he said.

The experience has not completely ended Berg’s love of hiking.

In an interview with WXYZ, he said he still intends to hike again — but this time, he would probably choose to go with someone else.

A SURVIVOR’S MESSAGE AFTER 11 DAYS ALONE

Berg’s 11-day ordeal began with a solo hiking trip he had carefully prepared for.

It turned into a fight for survival after a wrong turn, a swamp and the loss of his phone left him isolated in one of the country’s most remote national parks.

He survived by rationing his food, treating questionable water, conserving his energy and refusing to stop calling for help.

And after thousands of unanswered cries, it was the sight of two kayakers on a nearby lake that finally changed everything.

After 11 days alone in the wilderness, Craig Berg was coming home.