LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A man has been found alive after being reported missing two weeks during his hiking trip at Red River Gorge.
Scott Hern, 48, had not been heard from by family members since July 5.
Hern had been visiting the gorge for the last few months to search for waterfalls. According to his family members, he mapped out several locations in his diary he planned to explore.
When Hern’s family did not hear from him after July 6, they contacted authorities. His last known location was in the woods off Tower Rock Trail. His vehicle had remained in the same place since.
For two weeks, crews with the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team worked days and into the nights to locate Hern.
In a Facebook post Saturday evening, crews had planned to expand their search by going to areas they hadn’t completely checked or previously searched.
Crews said they learned from Hern’s diary that he had visited Bells Falls along Highway 715. They said the areas around and above the falls had been checked but decided to continue north up the creek to clear that area.
However, it was a shoe print that a search group stumbled upon. The search group also noticed a walking stick in the area they said few travel.
As they continued, they said they heard someone yelling “help.”
That’s when they worked aggressively to find Hern who was located up a steep embankment below a cliff line.
Since he was in an area with heavy terrain, Kentucky State Police were called in to do a hoist operation. WCSRT said it was the safest way to get Hern care and reducing risk to rescuers by avoiding a “long and difficult carryout.”
“It is truly a miracle that Mr. Hern was found after 14 days and 12 days without any food or water. We were persistent in our search, but hope was fading,” WCRST said in the post.
Hern was airlifted to a hospital and his current condition is unknown.
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