89-year-old’s ‘will to survive’ saved him during 10 days missing in woods, ID cops say
An 89-year-old’s “will to survive” may have saved his life after he went missing for almost 10 days in the Idaho wilderness, deputies said.
Now, his discovery is being called a “true miracle.”
Bing Olbum was found by people on horseback after midnight on Aug. 11, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Olbum had started his hike Aug. 1 at the Hunter Creek Trailhead, McClatchy News previously reported.
He was supposed to return from his hike at the McDonald Creek area, but he never did, deputies said.
He was reported missing, and rescuers began searching for him.
Missing man’s camp discovered
Days went by and no one found Olbum until horseback riders came across his camp the evening of Aug. 10, deputies said.
They later found him at about 12:30 a.m. the next day, deputies said, and helped him return home by 3 a.m. that day.
“Bing’s will to survive has resulted in an unbelievably good ending to this incident,” deputies said in the social media post. “We hope that his recovery is swift, and he will be enjoying time with his family and friends.”
“This is a true miracle! Perseverance paid off for Bing!” one person commented.
“He ain’t no quitter!” another person wrote.
Hunter Creek Trail is in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
“The trail follows the creek to the head of the canyon where the switchbacks become steeper and a little more difficult,” officials said.
This story was originally published August 13, 2024 at 4:28 PM with the headline "89-year-old’s ‘will to survive’ saved him during 10 days missing in woods, ID cops say."
