On March 23, Mike Blodgett went hiking on Japan’s Mount Ōmine and planned to visit the Ōmine Temple and camp for one night, but failed to return to his home in Osaka after the trip. After the 35-year-old the teacher didn’t show to an evening class he was scheduled to teach on March 26, his wife, Ikuchan reported him missing.

A search was launched, coupled with a Facebook page that was created by his sister to get others involved in helping to find him. Support was immediate, with friends, family, and strangers posting messages of encouragement.

A post early on March 30 finally delivered an answer. “Just got word, Mike is ALIVE!!!” Additional information from his wife said he was physically weak, had some frostbite on his fingers and toes, was dehydrated, but had a clear mind overall.

According to Geneva Patch, Blodgett was descending the mountain on March 24 when he slipped 160-230 feet. He tried to make it back to a trail, but slipped again, this time covering a much longer distance. It was at this point when he lost his phone. He slipped for a third time into a river, but managed to climb out, making his way to a nearby abandoned shack where he stayed for the next several days days. There weren’t any trails near the shack, but Blodgett still went out a number of times to search.

He was able to survive by eating “a lot of snow.”

On Saturday, he faced the most challenging day as he decided to descend the mountain, eventually reaching a home at the foothills where he was able to call for help.

Blodgett lived in Illinois before moving to Osaka five years ago, where he lives with his wife and three-year-old daughter, Olivia. The couple is expecting another child next month.

Image courtesy of MightyAtom on Wikimedia Commons