Injured and lost without GPS in the Scottish Highlands, this doctor was found alive thanks to a Facebook post

The man got lost in the Scottish Highlands. ILLUSTRATION MAXPPP. – Philippe Clément

Having gone hiking on the Isle of Skye in Scotland on Thursday, February 16, 2023, John Pike was lucky enough to survive a solo trek in the Scottish Highlands. He reports for the BBC, this Sunday, July 28, 2024.

This British doctor is likely to remember this battle for survival in Scotland for a long time. Aged 61 and originally from Bristol, John Pike had decided to hike 15 miles from Sligachan to Loch Coriusk.

A keen walker, he crossed several slippery and uneven paths. “There were no more paths. It was very difficult to stay upright”, he told the BBC.

The latter ends up falling. “I was in a lot of pain right away”, Mr. Pike recalled. “I thought I didn't feel well at all, but I figured it was noon, I was going to have lunch and get back into the swing of things.” After lunch, Pike can no longer stand up straight. And for good reason, he has a broken hip.

No network

Cut off from the phone network, John struggles to contact the services to come and help him. As he tries to retrace his steps and the hiking trail, he slips for nearly two miles.

The next morning, the B&B's owner raised the alarm when he realized that John had not checked his room. Portree police alerted their counterparts in Bristol, John's hometown, and officers from Avon  & Somerset went to question his daughter.

“She was able to tell them, through Find My iPhone, where I was last seen [on the app]”, John said.

With this method, police can pinpoint where he was last seen, but the search area is still very large. Mr. Pike also notes that a rescue helicopter flew over him twice without noticing him.

An announcement that will change everything

It is finally through a message on Facebook that John Pike will manage to be found. This crucial information allowed the emergency services to comb a limited area. “We stopped for a bit and radioed the RAF, who were the other team on the ground, and we asked, “Did you blow your whistle”?”. They said, “No”. And then we heard the whistle again", he said.

Facebook message. Screenshot.

The rescuers finally found him, although they didn't expect to find him safe after two days in the cold. “It was very, very difficult to follow”, John Pike admits. He was later taken to hospital to recover from his injuries.

Recognizing that he had been “incredibly lucky to be alive”, the doctor had one last piece of advice for hikers: “Have another method of navigation… I would highly recommend that people have a GPS device with a large-scale map of the area you are hiking in.” A word to the wise.