11/21/2009 10:29:00 PM YCSO rescues man lost in wilderness
Search and rescue teams with the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office found a 62-year-old New Mexico man who went missing this past week after he wondered off from a companion while treasure hunting in a wilderness area east of Highway 89 between Congress and Yarnell.
Around 8 a.m. Wednesday, rescue personnel spotted William Thomas at a ranch three miles from where he had parked his vehicle to go exploring with a metal detector. He was in good condition and was eventually taken to a base camp by Yavapai County Search and Rescue Team Quad Unit personnel.
After Thomas' hiking companion reported his friend missing to YCSO at 5 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff's deputies began a coordinated search effort throughout the night and found a boot print that belonged to Thomas. The Department of Public Safety initially sent a Ranger Helicopter crew to fly over the area, but it could not find the man.
A medic from a Back Country Unit said Thomas was OK when found. Thomas later told rescue crews that he lit a small warming fire overnight Tuesday. And although he had a camera with him, he did not think about using the flash to signal rescue teams.
Thomas also had not dressed appropriately for an overnight stay in the cold and did not take any food or water with him.
YCSO rescue personnel remind folks venturing in the Arizona wilderness to prepare for the worst-case scenario by carrying a GPS tracker or cell phone, along with water, food, matches, flashlight, warm clothing, and an emergency shelter kit.
Reader Comments
Posted: Monday, November 23, 2009
Article comment by:
kirk
This man was lucky to be with another who notified the authorities. There is also a service called SafeCheckIn.com that individuals can “checkout” with details of their outing, what they were wearing, route, vehicle etc. and if they do not check back in the service begins to notify emergency contacts or the authorities. This can be a lifesaver for anyone going out alone whether it is treasure hunting on a hike, road trip or even a date. While most of us have someone who will notice our absence, there are a lot of people who have no one who would notice if they went missing and this is for those people.
Posted: Sunday, November 22, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
Aha! I found the hidden typo right off the bat! I WONDER how that happened???
Posted: Sunday, November 22, 2009
Article comment by:
No name provided
had he "wondered" or wAndered away.......try spell check
