Latest news with #Odda
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
US journalist Alec Luhn found alive after going missing in Norway wilderness
Alec Luhn, an American environmental journalist who went missing while hiking on a Norwegian glacier, was found alive and appeared to be in good condition, officials said Wednesday. 'The person who has been missing since Monday evening has been found alive near Folgefonna,' the Norwegian Red Cross said in a statement shared on social media. 'He was located by helicopter crew and has now been transported for medical treatment.' Luhn, 38, had been missing for nearly a week after embarking on a solo backpacking trip on July 31 in Folgefonna — a wilderness park in southwestern Norway that is home to the country's third-largest glacier. The Wisconsin native, who now lives in London with his wife, Veronika Silchenko, had left for the park from the town of Odda, on the northeast edge of Folgefonna, for what was expected to be a four-day hike. On Monday, Silchenko reported her husband missing after he failed to board his flight home. Search-and-rescue teams — including a large group of volunteers, specialized climbing teams and drones — had been trying to locate Luhn for two days, but their efforts were hampered by difficult terrain, poor visibility, rain, and high water levels. The weather improved early Wednesday, and Luhn was found shortly after 11:30 a.m., local time, according to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang. Luhn, an experienced hiker, was found conscious after nearly a week in the wilderness. According to his wife, he injured his leg but was in good condition. 'I think it's a miracle,' Silchenko told CBS News. 'It's the best day of my life.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
US journalist found alive days after going missing on a hike in Norway
A US climate journalist who went missing for nearly a week on a solo hiking trip in Norway has been found alive, his family has confirmed. Alec Luhn, 38, vanished during a trek on a glacier in Folgefonna National Park in the country's southwest. His wife, Veronika Silchenko, told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that he sustained a leg injury but was otherwise in good health. "I think it's a miracle," Ms Silchenko said. "It's the best day of my life." Mr Luhn, who has worked for multiple news outlets, set off on his hike from the town of Odda in southwestern Norway on 31 July. He did not show up for his scheduled return flight home on Monday, prompting Ms Silchenko to alert authorities. Ms Silchenko said she was grateful for the Norwegian rescue team for finding her husband, and was waiting to speak to a doctor about the extent of his injury. No further details about his rescue have been released. She previously described Mr Luhn as an experienced outdoorsman who had camped in in difficult weather conditions. "Alec is basically obsessed with the Arctic," Ms Silchenko told CBS News. "He loves glaciers and snow, and he loves explorers." As a climate journalist, Mr Luhn has travelled extensively to document glaciers that are rapidly shrinking because of the effects of global warming. "He's trying his best to go to the coldest countries," she said. He has previously reported for numerous outlets, including the BBC, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times, Scientific American, Time magazine, and CBS. Last year, he wrote for the BBC about Canada's "zombie" fires, which burn year round and are believed to be exacerbated by climate change. Rescuers in Norway search for missing US climate journalist Alec Luhn Melting glaciers threaten to wipe out European villages - is the steep cost to protect them worth it?
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Alec Luhn: US journalist found alive days after going missing on a hike in Norway
A US climate journalist who went missing for nearly a week on a solo hiking trip in Norway has been found alive, his family has Luhn, 38, vanished during a trek on a glacier in Folgefonna National Park in the country's southwest. His wife, Veronika Silchenko, told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that he sustained a leg injury but was otherwise in good health."I think it's a miracle," Ms Silchenko said. "It's the best day of my life."Mr Luhn, who has worked for multiple news outlets, set off on his hike from the town of Odda in southwestern Norway on 31 July. He did not show up for his scheduled return flight home on Monday, prompting Ms Silchenko to alert authorities. Ms Silchenko said she was grateful for the Norwegian rescue team for finding her husband, and was waiting to speak to a doctor about the extent of his injury. No further details about his rescue have been released. She previously described Mr Luhn as an experienced outdoorsman who had camped in in difficult weather conditions."Alec is basically obsessed with the Arctic," Ms Silchenko told CBS News. "He loves glaciers and snow, and he loves explorers."As a climate journalist, Mr Luhn has travelled extensively to document glaciers that are rapidly shrinking because of the effects of global warming."He's trying his best to go to the coldest countries," she has previously reported for numerous outlets, including the BBC, The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times, Scientific American, Time magazine, and year, he wrote for the BBC about Canada's "zombie" fires, which burn year round and are believed to be exacerbated by climate change.
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Rescuers searching for US journalist who went missing while hiking in Norwegian National Park
Rescuers are searching for a US journalist who went missing on a hike in the remote Folgefonna national park, home to one of Norway 's largest glaciers. Alec Luhn, 38, was last seen on Thursday 31 July as he was setting off for his hike in the park, which stretches 545 square kilometres in western Norway. The reporter, who is from Wisconsin but based in the UK, is a Pulitzer Center Ocean Reporting Network fellow and has had two Emmy nominations. Formerly based in Moscow and Istanbul, he has reported for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and was a regular Guardian Russia correspondent from 2013 to 2017. His wife, journalist Veronika Silchenko, said he sent a picture from his last known location, Odda, on Thursday. She made a public appeal on social media after becoming concerned when he failed to board his flight home. Ms Silchenko, a TV journalist, urged anyone with information or who may have seen him to get in touch. 'We exchanged a few texts [on Thursday],' she told CNN. 'He told me that he is going to hike and sent me a picture. He looked fine, the weather was fine. 'On Monday, we decided that we need to call the services, because he should have gotten out of the park by that time and probably would have been able to find the internet. So we started really panicking.' Rescue dogs, Red Cross volunteers, special crews for alpine and glacier searches, drones and a Norwegian Air Force helicopter have all been searching the area with police. The experienced hiker had been on a family holiday before setting out on a solo backpacking trip from Odda, according to friends. Mr Luhn spoke to a French couple who gave him a lift to the glacier on 31 July and believe he may have described his plan to them for his route, a family friend told The Independent. They were in a camper van with their young son. The friend said they are trying to find anyone who saw or spoke to Alec - particularly the French couple - to learn more about the routes he was taking. Folgefonna National Park, known for its dramatic glacier tongues, wild valleys, and fast-flowing rivers, has drawn adventurous tourists since 1833. However, its remote and rugged terrain can turn perilous in harsh weather conditions. 'Alec is basically obsessed with the Arctic,' Ms Silchenko told CBS News. 'He loves glaciers and snow, and he loves explorers. He's a climate journalist, so for him it is always that story that now because of the climate change they're all shrinking, and he's trying his best to go to the coldest countries.' The search was suspended on Tuesday afternoon due to severe weather, including heavy rain and high water levels in rivers, police told The Independent. 'The police are also actively working to gather information that can narrow the search, including interviewing witnesses in the mountains and investigating telecommunications operators and mobile phone manufacturer to map the movements of the missing person,' said Eirik Loftesnes, Head of Operations at Western Police District. By Wednesday morning, the search resumed with the Alpine Rescue Group heading to Odda by helicopter.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Journalist Reported Missing by His Wife After Failing to Board Flight Home Following Solo Hiking Trip
"Alec is basically obsessed with the Arctic. He loves glaciers and snow, and he loves explorers," his wife, Veronika Silchenko, said of why he took the tripNEED TO KNOW A Wisconsin-born climate journalist is missing after taking a solo hiking trip to Norway's Folgefonna National Park to see glaciers Veronika Silchenko alerted authorities after her husband, Alec Luhn, did not make his return flight home to the U.K. The Red Cross is reportedly assisting in the search, 'which has proven to be particularly challenging due to difficult conditions and demanding weather'An American journalist from Wisconsin has been reported missing after going on a solo hiking trip to Norway and failing to board his returning flight. Alec Luhn, an Award-winning climate journalist as described on his personal website, was on a four-day solo backpacking trip in southern Norway's Folgefonna National Park, the Washington Post, CBS News and CNN reported Tuesday, Aug. 5. His wife, Veronika Silchenko, said she last spoke with her husband on Thursday, July 31, while he was hiking in Odda, in southwestern Norway, per CBS News. According to the outlet, initially, Silchenko didn't worry about not hearing from him because of Luhn's experience outdoors, thinking cell service could have been a factor. However, once he did not return to their home that evening in the U.K. Monday, Aug. 4, she and other concerned relatives contacted police. '@alecluhn_ is missing in Norway,' Silchenko wrote on her Instagram Stories Monday, resharing a post by another user who was raising awareness about the need to locate Luhn. 'Please help us with any information,' she added. The original post said Luhn was exploring glaciers at Folgefonna National Park and that the 'Red Cross search with volunteers and dogs and helicopters is underway in the area.' Silchenko also spoke with CNN about the last time she communicated with her husband. 'We exchanged a few texts. He told me that he is going to hike and sent me a picture. He looked fine, the weather was fine,' she said. She continued, 'I started to worry slightly on Sunday, but then I thought that it's Norway and it's totally normal to be out of connection in the mountains, so I (decided to) wait and … do something if he's not back online on Monday." The outlet also spoke with Ingeborg Thorsland, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Red Cross, who said, 'Around 30 volunteers from the Red Cross and other organizations have participated in the operation. The search teams are local and familiar with the terrain, which has proven to be particularly challenging due to difficult conditions and demanding weather.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Silchenko explained what motivated her husband to go on the solo hiking expedition, telling CBS News, "Alec is basically obsessed with the Arctic. He loves glaciers and snow, and he loves explorers, and he's a climate journalist, so for him it is always that story that now because of the climate change they're all shrinking, and he's trying his best to go to the coldest countries." Luhn has worked for The Atlantic, National Geographic, The New York Times, Scientific American, TIME, CBS News Radio, and VICE News TV, per CBS News. Read the original article on People
