Final answer:
In the novel 'Hatchet', Brian Robeson is rescued after activating a plane's emergency transmitter, allowing rescue workers to locate and save him.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 'Hatchet' by Gary Paulsen, the protagonist, Brian Robeson, does not exactly find his way back to civilization himself; rather, civilization comes back to him. After surviving alone in the Canadian wilderness following a plane crash, Brian's rescue is ultimately a result of a transmission signal he activates from the plane's emergency transmitter, which he accidentally discovers. Rescue workers are then able to locate him, and he is returned to civilization.