Lost, legally blind hiker sets signal fire

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Kenneth Light. Photo: Backpacking Light magazine

A legally blind hiker who had been lost for 6 days was found by firefighters on Saturday after he started a fire hoping to attract attention.  When firefighters from the Big Island Fire Volunteer Department responded to the fire, it had burned about an acre near the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.

When the firefighters were walking 3/4 mile cross-country to the fire, they wondered amongst themselves if it was a signal fire set by Kenneth Knight, 41, who is an editor for the outdoors magazine Backpacking Light.  About 130 searchers had been looking for him for several days.

Lt. Brandon Cocke, Big Island Volunteer Fire Department said:

When he came out of the tent talking to them, they knew who it was by the pictures seen on TV and everything.

Knight had been hiking with friends, but he separated from the group, telling them he would meet them later up the Appalachian Trail.  When he failed to show up on Tuesday, then missed his flight back to Michigan on Wednesday, his friends reported him missing.

Knight is out of the hospital and is doing well.

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