(NewsNation) – Viewers watching a bear livestream at an Alaskan national park helped rescue a stranded hiker last week.
On Sept. 5, a couple of "dedicated" bear-cam fans logged on to view a livestream from Katmai National Park — but instead of bears, they were treated to the sight of a man bundled in his rain jacket, speaking directly to the camera, according to Explore.org, which hosts the livestream.
The man was barely audible, but viewers managed to recognize him mouthing the words "help me," NPR reported.
One viewer alerted a moderator at Explore.org, who notified officials at Katmai National Park.
The park's rangers “sprung into action and mounted a search, saving the man," Explore.org wrote.
A National Park Service spokesperson told The Washington Post that the hiker was caught in windy and rainy conditions with poor visibility before park rangers found him a few hours later and brought him back to safety.
Katmai National Park is almost exclusively accessed by boat or plane. Established in 1918, the national park and preserve has gained popularity online in recent years for its “Fat Bear Week” event, during which fans and livestream viewers vote for the Katmai bear that "best exemplifies fatness"
Fat Bear Week was not occurring at the time of the incident, but is expected to kick off in early October.