Credits: Social Media
Man went for a run one day but�didnt�return until a month later
A runner lost in the woods was luckily rescued after a month, but his story of survival will send shivers down your spine.
Robert Schock, 39, feels he “has aged years” due to the harrowing experience, which started on July 31 when he left for a long run with his dog Freddy and ended on August 30 when he was finally found.
Runner gets lost in the woods with his dog
Robert, who has been running for years planned his 20-mile run to North Cascades National Park using an outdated map, which he wasn’t aware of at the time.
He parked his vehicle at Ahnnegan Pass Trailhead in Washington and set off on a run with minimal supplies assuming he would be done fast.
“I’m not a hiker. I don’t put on backpacks and go out for multiple-day trips. I don’t know how to fish. I want to finish a course as fast as I can and come back home,” he told PEOPLE.
So, he only carried a dog pan with no shirt on; he had a pair of shorts on him – the “only items” in his small backpack.
Never would I have dreamt that’s the experience I was headed towards when I was going out for a run, he recollected. Never did I dream that this kind of survival could ever even be possible.
He started running following an old map, thus heading the Chilliwack River Trail by going up near the Copper Ridge Trail and then using a cable car across the river, reports PEOPLE.
However, the wildfires in the �North Cascades in 2021 and 2022�resulted in the partial closure of the trail Robert was following. Driven by curiosity, he kept going, only to get lost soon.
His phone died on the second day and when he realized things “had become serious”, he sent his dog Freddy to find his way home.
He lost track of time as days passed and he only wished for the painful experience to end with no sign of life around him.
He ended up resting in old nesting grounds made by bears. He fed on mushrooms found around him, which he said tasted like the “normal mushroom you would have on a pizza or something.” That was the only thing he ate the whole time, besides “nasty berries.”
He was rescued after a month
His cries for help weren’t responded to, although he spotted a helicopter twice. He lost all hope as he struggled to survive without any food or shelter.
The cops found Robert’s dog on August 4 and informed his family. His mother had no idea her son was planning his run in the North Cascades and she was unsuccessful in reaching him as his phone had died.
While the rescue operations continued after his car was found, Robert was “not doing well”. “I wasn’t screaming for help very much anymore,” he said.
He thought he wouldn’t make it through one more night. So, he decided to scream for help one last time and luckily, he was heard by members of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, returning to their camp after performing maintenance work on a trail.
He was airlifted to the hospital and was able to sleep for the first time in a long while. He was in recovery for a month.
A musician by profession, Robert looks forward to returning to Northwest�to continue playing, but he will not be returning to the North Cascades anytime soon.
He feels the experience took such a toll on him that he’s “aged several years because of it.” But he hopes he’ll get those years back.
