Staff at the Gila Regional Medical Centre in New Mexico got a hearty "thank you" from Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister for treating him.

He's also returning to complete the hike that nearly took his life.

The premier returned to Silver City, N.M., almost a year after he got lost on a hiking trail in the Gila Wilderness, a 2,200-square kilometre protected area in southwestern New Mexico.

He's said he was grateful to be alive after getting lost in the New Mexico wilderness for hours before falling down an embankment, breaking his arm and bruising his ribs.

The ordeal shook Pallister, who was nearly in tears last year describing how he got lost.

"It was the worst day of my life," he said at the time.

He also called the region of New Mexico "a beautiful place," and vowed to return, despite the accident.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister suffered multiple injuries and numerous cuts and bruises after getting lost and falling while on a hike in New Mexico. (Submitted/Brian Pallister)

Pallister followed through on his promise, surprising medical professionals at the Gila Regional Medical Centre with his gratefulness a few days ago, said Taffy Arias, hospital CEO.

"I have never met a man who was so gracious and so complimentary of each and every person that took care of him," Arias said. "He went out of his way to acknowledge everyone in a personal manner to let them know that he remembered them, he remembered their names, he remembered what they did for him."

Remembered every name

"For someone, especially someone in his position, who must come in contact with many individuals in his career to specifically say to himself I'm going to remember these people's names so I can come back and thank them, that was most impressive for us."

Pallister offered a Canadian flag as a gift and posed for pictures with staff, who were "unbelievably surprised" at how the six-foot-eight politician towered over them.

One staff member was no taller than Pallister's waist, Arias said.

"It's a very charming picture," she said.

A year ago, Pallister and his wife, Esther — who have hiked thousands of kilometres before — embarked on what they thought would be a six-hour hike, separately.

An emotional Brian Pallister recalls the hiking experience that nearly took his life in a press conference with media on Nov. 21, 2017. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

Pallister fell behind on his leg of the journey, he explained last year, and eventually found himself alone in the dark.

He would run into barbed wire and became cold and dehydrated.

"I started to shake and I knew I had to get up," Pallister said last year.

Meanwhile, Esther used the light on her cellphone to finish hiking and make it to their vehicle. When her husband didn't show up, she drove to the other end of the trail before calling police.

Search efforts dimmed

Before long, Pallister noticed the beam of an officer's flashlight until the light went out.

Pallister started to scream as loudly as he could to get the officer's attention, he said, and finally heard the response of the siren.

As he approached, the light suddenly came back on and blinded Pallister as he tried to climb over a fence toward the officer.

"About two steps later I started to slide," Pallister recalled.

Premier Brian Pallister says he's grateful to be alive after getting lost in the New Mexico desert wilderness last week, leaving him with a broken arm, bruised ribs and lacerations all over. 7:15

He put his hands and feet down to try and steady himself, but it was too steep and too dark. As he slid, his arm got caught and twisted behind him — causing a compound fracture.

"Then I got air, and I'm just praying: no rocks," Pallister said.

"And then I landed flat, blew out the sides of both my hiking boots on landing. So it must have been a pretty profound impact."

With files from Ismaila Alfa and Ian Froese