Two missing hikers in Montana’s Glacier National Park have been found, reportedly uninjured, three days after they were reported missing.
The hikers, Neal Peckens, 32, and Jasin Hiser, also 32, were reported missing by their families on Friday after they failed to fly home from Montana, reports ABC News .
The two hikers, who are college friends, were found in Montana today at about 3:30 pm MT. An announcement by the park about their recovery said:
“The men are doing well with no injuries. They were flown out of the backcountry and met family members anxiously awaiting their return.”
Officials added that additional information about the recovery of the missing hikers will be given on Tuesday. Hiser’s mother, Sandy, stated that the two friends, who met 10 years ago at Virginia Tech, are experienced hikers. She added:
“They’re both in very good physical condition. They’re both intelligent young men, just lost. We’re hoping for the best.”
USA Today notes that an announcement posted on the park’s Facebook page read, “Initial information indicates they are will and will be returning to their families! Yeah!”
The two men had a backcountry permit that allowed them to hike at the North Shore Trailhead at Two Medicine on Tuesday. The two planned to camp overnight and return on Wednesday. Search crews fought winter weather including up to 18 inches of snow on the trails. Aerial operations were limited because of weather conditions, so search crews instead looked for the missing hikers on foot and on horseback.
Search personnel discovered a used fire ring and tracks they believed may have been related to the missing hikers in Montana on Sunday. The tracks were found in Nyack Drainage, which contains dense and treacherous terrain, according to Glacier National Park spokeswoman Denise Germann.
http://youtu.be/h1B2x9rbBuQ
