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Man who disappeared into the woods for 30 days reveals how it 'took years off' his life

Home> News> US News

Published 18:55 30 Oct 2024 GMT

Man who disappeared into the woods for 30 days reveals how it 'took years off' his life

A 39-year-old musician went for a run in Washington with his dog wearing just shorts and a small backpack, and didn't return for 30 days

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck

A man has opened up about what happened when he went for a run with his dog and ended up going missing for a month.

On July 31, Robert Schock set out for a run with his dog Freddie in North Cascades National Park, Washington, planning on covering around 20 miles before going back home.

Wearing a pair of shorts, no shirt, and only carrying a dog pan in his small backpack, the 39-year-old musician ended up setting off on his run but not returning.

Robert Schock set off for a run but didn't come back for 30 days (Instagram/ @robert.schock318)
Robert Schock set off for a run but didn't come back for 30 days (Instagram/ @robert.schock318)

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Schock told PEOPLE he set out to follow a certain trail, but after crossing the Chilliwack River, he ended up getting lost.

With previous wildfires having altered the terrain of certain areas of the park, the trail Schock was trying to follow was reportedly 'no longer there'.

With no phone service, he was unable to search for directions or call anyone for help, and by the second day, his device ran out of battery.

What's more, as he was only wearing a pair of shorts and had no other clothes with him, his backpack was the only item he had to cover himself.

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By day three, reality set in, and Schock desperately tried to see if Freddie may remember or sense the way back.

Schock went missing with his dog Freddie (Instagram/ @robert.schock318)
Schock went missing with his dog Freddie (Instagram/ @robert.schock318)

In a bid to survive, Schock nested in an area which had been abandoned by bears, and ate berries and a large mushroom 'all day long'.

Schock says he spotted a helicopter overhead twice and tried 'screaming' and 'waving', but it didn't see him.

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Slowly, he felt his health declining, noting he could soon barely muster a 'scream for help' and 'was not doing very well'.

By August 30, Schock felt 'close to death' and was sat naked by a bank of the river.

"[I] knew I wasn't going to make it through the night. So I was like, ‘I'm going to scream one last time.’ I said, ‘Help!’" He said.

And thankfully, his cries were heard.

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Schock was found by members of Pacific Northwest Trail Association (Facebook/ Jeff Kish)
Schock was found by members of Pacific Northwest Trail Association (Facebook/ Jeff Kish)

Schock's screams were heard by members of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association, who quickly provided him with clothes and stayed with him until he was airlifted to hospital.

Schock spent a month in hospital before traveling back to Ohio with his dad and stepmom.

While he's 'recovering pretty well' and gotten off relatively unscathed physically, bar being left with 'some underlying joint pain', Schock says the month being missing has certainly 'taken its toll' on him.

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He resolved: "I've aged several years because of it. Hopefully, I get those years back.

"[...] Never would I have dreamt that's the experience I was headed towards when I was going out for a run. Never did I dream that this kind of survival could ever even be possible."

Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@robert.schock318 / Pacific Northwest Trail Association

Topics: Health, Mental Health, US News, Nature, Washington

Poppy Bilderbeck
Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.

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