An American climate journalist from Stoughton, Wisconsin, who disappeared while hiking in a Norwegian national park has been found alive. Alec Luhn, 38, was reported missing on August 4, after not being heard from while on a solo hike in Folgefonna National Park. Luhn is an accomplished journalist who has worked for The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Atlantic. His wife, Veronika Silchenko, alerted Norwegian authorities on Monday, August 4, after he did not appear for a scheduled flight from Bergen to England.
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Luhn was on vacation with his family in Norway prior to his disappearance. Luhn decided to take a solo hike into the park leaving from Odda in Vestland County, on the northeast edge of the Folgefonna National Park, on July 31. Folgefonna National Park, in western Norway. is home to the country’s third-largest glacier. His solo hike into the park was not unusual to his character. Luhn is an experienced hiker and adventurer. His career involves him regularly traveling to remote and challenging environments as a reporter, and he also often spends his vacations seeking out the deep wildernesses, his friends and family said. He has worked in conflict zones, including in Ukraine and Somalia, and also has trekked as part of a scientific expedition deep in the wilderness in Alaska and visited the Arctic in both Canada and Russia.
After being reported missing, Norwegian authorities were quick to act. Local police reported to Norway’s public news Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation Norwegian (NRK i.e. Norsk rikskringkasting), that a volunteer search had been launched after he was reported missing. A rescue team, as well as the police, sniffer dogs and drones renewed the search for Luhn on Tuesday before being called off as a result of inclement weather conditions. Tatjana Knappen, operations manager at Western Police District, told NRK: “The weather started to get really bad around midnight. At that time, it was not reasonable to continue the search up in the mountains.”
The search for Luhn quickly resumed Wednesday with the improved weather. Fortunately, Luhn was quickly discovered and evacuated to Bergen, Norway. Luhn did not have any critical injuries; he however did sustain an injury to his leg and foot. His family reported that he had a broken femur after falling off a cliff. These injuries likely caused him to be unable to evacuate himself from the park.
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Luhn is currently being taken care of at Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen. He reportedly survived on two chocolate bars and rainwater throughout the experience.
His wife, Veronika Silchenko, posted an update on her Facebook page on August 11 in which she wrote: “Alec is safe and is being treated by what feels like the most incredible medical team. He has undergone a successful surgery for a broken femur and fractured pelvis that left him essentially unable to move for more than 6 days on a mountain near Buarbreen glacier. We are still in the hospital and the treatment is continuing but things looking better every day! I want to say thank you to all the people who took part in his rescue, to the police, the Norwegian Red Cross, all the volunteers and 330 Skvadron, who found him, kept him warm and against all the odds brought him back to me. I’m forever indebted to you.”
Luhn is expected to make a full recovery, bringing relief to his friends, family, and all rescuers involved.
