Man 'in good spirits' days after going missing near Kejimkujik National Park

A 46-year-old man missing for days near Nova Scotia's Kejimkujik National Park is in good shape and "good spirits" after being found Wednesday morning, according to a search and rescue official.

Steve Hopper, search director for the North Queens Ground Search and Rescue Team, said ground crews foundBradley James Hallat one of the cabins along the south side of Eleven Mile Lake, northwest of Keji, around 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Hopper said Hall wasabout two kilometresas the crow fliesfrom where his nine-year-old daughter was found Tuesday safely wrapped in a sleeping bag.

"He had gotten there this morning and had gotten himself inside, to try and get himself ready to go back and help his daughter," said Hopper.

It's not clear how the pair became separated, but Hopper said the father and daughter crashed their canoe while trying to navigate some fast-moving rapids along the route.

"If you think of all of the old shots you see of a canoe going down through rapids and hitting a rock, yeah, that's what it was. It was bent around the rock, backwards ... It was toast," said Hopper.

"It's considered one of the more challenging routes in the province."

Hall and his daughter set out on what was supposed to be a three-day canoe trip paddling the Mersey River.

RCMP said the pair began their journey at Milford House, which is about a 33-kilometredrive from their planned destination. The route the pair attempted to take involved canoeing the river system and six lakes, which was not easily accessible to search and rescue crews.

There was heavy rainfall in Nova Scotia over the weekend. CBC reporter Paul Palmeterwas on the scene Wednesday morning. He said one section of the route he saw had fast rapids that would have been difficult for adults to navigate, let alone a man and child.

The man and childwere expected to arrive at Jake's Landing in the park on Sunday. RCMP were called Monday evening when the pair didn't show up at home as planned.

The girl was found safe in the woods Tuesday afternoon.

Police said the two were well prepared for the trip and had sufficient camping equipment and provisions with them.

A Canadian Forces cormorant helicopter,an RCMP helicopter, several ground search and rescue crews, andan RCMPdog assisted in the search.