Rescuers ‘amazed’ to find missing man alive after 14 days at Red River Gorge

A man missing in the Red River Gorge area of the Daniel Boone National Forest was found alive Saturday, two weeks after he was last seen.

The Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team said in a Facebook post Saturday afternoon that they were “amazed to report” that Scott Hern was found “alive but in need of medical attention.”

Hern, 48, was found in a remote location and was rescued via an air evacuation, the team said.

For days, teams had been searching for Hern, whose family in Ironton, Ohio, said they last communicated with him July 5.

“It is truly a miracle that Mr. Hern was found after 14 days and 12 days without any food or water,” Wolfe County Search & Rescue said in a later post. “We were persistent in our search, but hope was fading.”

Saturday, searchers decided to “expand upon areas that were not previously or completely searched,” Wolfe County Search & Rescue stated.

“We learned from his diary that he had visited Bell Falls along Highway 715. Although the falls had been previously checked and even some areas above the falls, the decision was made to continue north up the creek to clear the area completely. The search group found a shoe print and evidence of a walking stick in an area that few travel.

“They continued pushing up the creek when they heard someone yell for help.”

A team of five people eventually found Hern “up a steep embankment below a cliff line.”

Because of the difficult topography, Kentucky State Police were called in to conduct a hoist operation, which the rescue group said “was the fastest way to get him to definitive care and reduced the risk to rescuers by avoiding a long and difficult carryout.”

Hern had reportedly been visiting waterfalls in the area over the past few months, and his car was found parked at the Tower Rock trail head, according to the rescue organization.

“We believe his vehicle has not moved from its current location since July 6th,” Wolfe County Search and Rescue said earlier in the week.

Visitors were asked to stay away from the areas between the Gladie Visitor Center and Osborne Bend trail head while the search was ongoing.