Disappeared in the woods for 8 days in Alaska, two Tennessee hikers were found unharmed on Friday.
The couple was only three kilometers away from their car.
Jonas Barry, 50, and Cynthia Hovsepian, 37, were spotted by a hiker walking through the woods in Fairbanks.
Mr. Barry’s uncle told the New York Post that the couple had survived eight days in the wilderness after getting lost during what was supposed to be a short hike on a steady course.
The latter added that he believed Mr. Barry and Mrs. Hofspian had become dizzy and disoriented from the sun.
“I’m sure they were out of their minds, confused, or else they would have walked out of there,” he said.
Image from Facebook | Missing in Alaska
Mr Barry’s daughter also confirmed that her father and Cynthia were found alive and receiving treatment in hospital.
It is not known what their condition is and whether they have suffered any injuries.
Fairbanks police reported that Mr. Barry and Ms. Hovsepian went missing on August 11 after they failed to leave their Airbnb rental, where they left all their belongings behind.
Fairbanks Police Department
The dark blue Jeep Compass the couple rented was also found abandoned at the popular Chena Hot Springs resort, located near the hiking trail.
Image from Facebook | Cynthia Hovsepian
They were eventually found about three kilometers from their car.
“This is where the shoe pinches: three kilometers from the car,” noted Mr. Barry’s uncle.
He described his nephew as a “capable” man.
However, Barry had a history of being confused outdoors.
On August 8, the backpacker posted a message on Facebook in which he assured that during his trip to Alaska he would not get lost as he did in Australia.
“I will not be lost as I did ten years ago in Australia and the Katoomba Range. If my Kodiak catches me, I will take it as an honorable death,” he wrote.
