Missing Tenn. couple found after eight days in Alaskan wilderness

A Tenessee couple who vanished more than a week ago while hiking in Alaska were found safe Friday — just two miles from their parked car, family said.

Couple Jonas Bare, 50, and Cynthia Hovsepian, 37, were spotted by a hiker as they wandered through the woods in Fairbanks, a city with a population of more than 30,000.

The pair had survived eight days in the wilderness after losing their way on what was supposed to be a brief hike on an established trail, Bare’s uncle, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Post.

The family member said he believes Bare and Hovsepian became dazed and confused by the 20 hours of sunlight per day in the state this time of year, paired with temperatures that can drop to 45 degrees during the four hours of twilight.

“They were lost, I’m sure, and disoriented or else they would have been out of there,” he said.

Bare’s daughter also confirmed that her father and Cynthia were discovered alive and were being treated at a hospital. It is unclear what condition they are in or if they suffered any injuries.

A picture of Bare — covered in dirt and wearing an Alaska T-shirt — was shared on a Facebook page dedicated to finding the missing couple Friday night.

He stood beside his 71-year-old father Billy, who Bare’s uncle said charged into the woods in search of his missing son several times over the last several days.

Bare and Hovsepian were reported missing Aug. 11 after they failed to check out of their Airbnb rental, where they left all their luggage behind, Fairbanks police said.

The dark-blue Jeep Compass that the couple was renting was also found abandoned at the popular Chena Hot Springs Resort, located near the hiking trail.

“Here’s your kicker: two miles from the car,” Bare’s uncle told The Post.

“That’s how that tells you right there how rugged that country could be.”

How Bare and Hovsepian — who is visually impaired and occasionally relies on a cane — survived eight days in the unfamiliar wilderness is still a mystery.

Bare’s uncle described his nephew as a “capable” man who has done extensive traveling throughout the world.

Bare, a Nashville businessman, last posted on Facebook about his trip to Alaska on Aug. 8. He previously said in another post he was traveling to his 50th state for his 50th birthday.

“I’m not going to get lost like I did 10 years ago in Australia and Katoomba Range. If a Kodiak gets me, I’ll consider that an honorable death,” he eerily wrote in one of the Aug. 8 posts.

The Post has reached out to the Fairbanks Police Department and the Alaskan State Troopers for comment.