A Kenyan who decided to go running during a snowstorm in Alaska has been found with frostbite so severe that he needed to have both his feet amputated

A long-distance runner who spent more than two days in freezing temperatures without winter gear has had both his feet amputated. Marko Cheseto, 28, is one of several Kenyan runners who competed for the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in cross-country and track. He was seen in a UAA building on the evening of November 6, 2011 (a Sunday night) as two snowstorms started to blanket Anchorage. His roommates reported him missing the next morning. The disappearance prompted an intensive search which included mountain rescue teams, ski patrols and search dogs. He was found early the following Wednesday outside a hotel near the campus, wearing athletic shoes, a jacket and blue jeans but no hat or gloves. He was suffering from hypothermia and severe frostbite on his feet and hands. The hotel manager said that when Cheseto was found, paramedics could not remove his shoes because they were frozen to his feet. Cheseto's hands are expected to recover but his lower extremities were severely injured and required amputation. He is expected to remain in hospital for recovery and rehabilitation. Cheseto had been been depressed when he disappeared over the suicide of his teammate and fellow Kenyan William Ritekwiang in February 2011. Ritekwiang, 23, was found dead in his apartment near campus with no signs of foul play. He was a second-year student and another academic All-American runner.