Kentucky search and rescue crew members reflect on miraculous rescue of Ironton man

KENTUCKY ( FOX 56 ) — An Ohio man is recovering in the hospital following a miraculous rescue at Red River Gorge over the weekend.

It was just beyond Bell Falls that rescue crews found a severely dehydrated Scott Hern, who was in dire need of medical attention. Crew members told Nexstar’s WDKY that finding him was a long shot and finding him alive was a true miracle.

Hern was lost for 14 days in the terrain of the Gorge. Officials said he survived for 12 days without food or water.

“We felt like we were, you know, searching basically for a recovery mission, you know, not finding someone alive,” said John May, who serves as chief of the Wolfe County Search & Rescue team.

Search efforts led by Wolfe County Search and Rescue began on Tuesday.

May said their crews teamed up with multiple agencies and search dogs, covering hundreds of miles over the multi-day mission. He added that the bulk of the search area did not include trails, making it difficult and dangerous to navigate.

“You know, it’s very rugged, heavy rhododendron growth. You know, it’s just in a lot of cases, you know, some of the areas I was in, you actually belly crawl through some of this,” May added.

On the final day of the search, one of the crews found footprints, which they said gave them their strongest lead yet. While following them, the crew heard a voice.

“We all heard the word help,” said crew member Eric Wolterman.

Wolterman and Evan Schulz were two of the first people to come in contact with Hern.

“And he kind of just smiled,” said Wolterman. “He said, ‘Oh, thank you so much.’ And he said, ‘Give me a big hug.’ And I gave him a big hug.”

Crew members said Hern was found near Bell Falls underneath a rock shelter, up the side of a mountain, and in the middle of thick brush.

“He said calmly, ‘I thought I was here to die.’ And then you could see it wash over him that he wasn’t going to anymore,” said Schulz. “And he just broke down crying. Unbelievable. Like rewarding experience to see that.”

Crew members said he was very dehydrated and his feet were hurt so badly he couldn’t walk, but Schulz noted that he was surprisingly calm and very nice.

“I think he offered; he was like, I owe you guys a beer,” said Schulz. “And I’m like man, the reward, like finding you. You’re alive. I’m like, you don’t owe us nothing, Scott.”

Soon after, Hern was airlifted out of the gorge and taken to UK Hospital for recovery.

The crew members said the successful rescue brought them to tears and that they’re still amazed at the outcome.

“When you have a win like this, after 14 days, that one will stick,” said May. “I promise you, there will not be a person involved that won’t remember that. You know the rest of their life.”

May said Hern is still weak but is making positive steps toward a full recovery. He’s eating solid foods again and his family hopes to help him start walking again soon.

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