Albert Chretien’s Remains Found By Hunters 18 Months After He Went Missing In Nevada Wilderness

Hunters have found the body of Albert Chretien, a Canadian man who has been missing in the Nevada wilderness since March of 2011 after he went to seek help for himself and his wife.

Chretien, 59, became stranded in the woods with his wife when their GPS gave them incorrect directions and their van got stuck in the mud in northeastern Nevada while they were on their way to Las Vegas, reports The New York Daily News.

Albert left on foot to seek help while his wife, Rita, stayed behind in their car. Rita survived the next 48 days by eating candy, trail mix, and snow before she finally attracted the attention of hunters, who rescued her.

Her husband, Albert, was lost until Saturday when police found and identified his remains after two local hunters pointed them to a spot in the woods where they thought they had discovered his body.

The two hunters, Rodney Thompson and Jay Doke, called police after finding Chretien’s backpack on Saturday, discovering his body a little farther up the mountain. Detective Jim Carpenter stated:

“They know of the story, of what took place and they were in the general area. They put two and two together and called us and said, ‘Hey, we think we found your missing Canadian guy.’ “

CBC News notes that Albert Chretien was heading in the right direction and his remains were found about 10 kilometers from the nearest town. His journey was hampered by the snow, as well as his lack of equipment for the hike.

Sheriff’s Deputy David Prall stated:

“Once he lost the ability to use that GPS, due to the snow drifts, he couldn’t tell where the road was. He did a lot of unnecessary climbing. He was heading literally for the summit of the mountain … where he made it to was far beyond what he was equipped for. This man had tremendous courage and inner strength to get where he was.”

Rita Chretien was relieved, yet upset to hear that her husband’s body was found. Detective Carpenter stated, “She’s obviously upset but she’s also relieved that we recovered Albert’s remains.”

Albert Chretien’s family is keeping private the location where his remains were discovered, so that they can keep it just for family visits.