‘Will to survive:’ Hiker, 89, found alive after he was missing for 10 days
CUSTER COUNTY, Idaho (Gray News) – An 89-year-old hiker is recovering at home after he went missing for 10 days.
“It is an extraordinary outcome for this incident,” said the Custer County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho in a Facebook post.
Bing Olbum had set off from the Hunter Creek trailhead in the Salmon-Challis National Forest on Aug. 1. He was reported missing by the Custer County Sheriff’s Office on Aug. 7 after he didn’t appear at the exit point of the trail in the Mcdonald Creek area.
Olbum’s camp was discovered on Saturday night, according to the sheriff’s office. They reported local residents then went out on horseback to search for Olbum and found him just after midnight on Sunday.
Olbum was returned to his home shortly after.
The sheriff’s office credited his safe return to the “relentless efforts” of the community and to Olbum’s “will to survive.”
“Bing’s will to survive has resulted in an unbelievably good ending to this incident,” they said. “We hope that his recovery is swift, and he will be enjoying time with his family and friends.”
