A 70-year-old hiker reported missing for a week in Isle Royale National Park was found alive and alert Saturday, authorities said.
Craig Berg was suffering from hypothermia when Coast Guard and Michigan State Police teams rescued him, officials said.
“The Coast Guard and Michigan State Police rescued an injured, ailing man Saturday after he went missing in Isle Royale National Park on Sept. 5,” the U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes said.
Footage released by authorities captured a helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City lifting Berg from the remote park. He was transported to a regional airport in Gwinn for emergency medical evaluation.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew hoists Craig Berg, 70, from Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior on Sept. 12, 2026. (USCGGreatLakes; Berg Family via Isle Royale National Park)
Authorities have not said what Berg experienced during the days he was missing, nor have they released further information about his injuries.
Backpackers described by officials as “good Samaritans” located Berg in the park Saturday. Michigan State Police ground patrols and K-9 teams then made contact with him.
The wide-ranging search included a 45-foot Coast Guard vessel, drones and seaplanes, along with personnel from several emergency response agencies.
The operation brought together the National Park Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Keweenaw County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin State Patrol and Minnesota Department of Public Safety, according to Michigan State Police public information officer Lt. Ben Eckola.
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“We’re also thankful to the fellow hikers who helped, Isle Royale Seaplanes, and No One Left Behind K9 Search and Rescue,” Eckola said in a statement. “Everyone’s efforts played an important part in finding Craig.”
Michigan State Police K-9 officers sit aboard a Coast Guard helicopter over Lake Superior en route to Isle Royale National Park on Sept. 11, 2026. (USCGGreatLakes, courtesy Air Station Traverse City)
The Detroit Free Press reported that Berg, of Royal Oak, Michigan, arrived at the national park on Aug. 27 for an extended solo hike but failed to return home Sept. 5.
Isle Royale National Park is located on a remote island in Lake Superior near the Canadian border.
Due to its remote location, Isle Royale is one of the least-visited national parks and has limited infrastructure.
Berg’s wife, Debbie, told the Detroit Free Press that only two rangers are stationed on the island and that the park has two camp stores and a lodge.
Officials deployed water, land and air crews to search for Craig Berg after he went missing on Sept. 5, 2026. (USCGGreatLakes)
According to the park’s website, cell phone service is often “unreliable,” and many types of equipment are generally prohibited on the island, including bicycles, motorized vehicles and drones.