American journalist Alec Luhn has been found alive after going missing last week while on a solo hike on a Norwegian glacier.
The Norwegian Red Cross said in a post on X that Luhn had been located by a helicopter crew on Wednesday and transported for medical treatment.
Luhn, 38, had left for his hiking trip for Folgefonna National Park on July 31, but when he did not show up for his flight home five days later, his wife, journalist Veronika Silchenko, reported him missing.
She described the rescue as a “miracle” on Wednesday, telling CBS News that he had suffered a leg injury but was in good condition.
“I’m so grateful to all the people who were involved in the rescue,” Silchenko said. “It’s the best day of my life.”
The Red Cross said a large team of volunteers, experienced climbers, and drones had been mobilized for the search. Earlier in the week, “difficult terrain, poor visibility, rain and high water levels” had made the search difficult, but by Wednesday, they said the weather had improved, making helicopter use possible
Luhn is an award-winning climate journalist who has written for international outlets such as TIME, The Atlantic, The Guardian, National Geographic, The New York Times, and WIRED. He has written extensively about Russia, having been a Russia correspondent for The Guardian for multiple years. Luhn is from Wisconsin, though he is now based in the United Kingdom.
“We were hoping for the best, and I knew he was experienced in the backcountry, but the longer time goes on in these situations you start to fear the worst,” Michael Downey, a friend of Luhn’s, told TIME. “It’s a huge relief to hear he’s alive and well—it’s been a day of happy messages among friends celebrating the good news.”
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