Sheriff’s deputies rescue visually impaired hiker lost near Wahkeena Falls
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An elite team of sheriff’s deputies rescued a visually impaired hiker who was lost in the wilderness of the Columbia River Gorge on Wednesday, authorities said.
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call at around 5:30 p.m. The man who placed the call said he was lost near a Wahkeena Falls hiking trail. He told authorities that he was visually impaired.
St. Helens mental health worker on navigating trauma
The sheriff’s office said the man’s wife had been hiking with him but returned to the car. A sheriff’s deputy located the woman at the Multnomah Falls welcome center. Another sheriff’s deputy contacted the man through text messages.
The Green Hornets team is a specialized group within the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue. Many of them are “backcountry trail runners and considered navigational experts,” the sheriff’s office said in a release.
The man had told emergency responders “he was using his cell phone’s flashlight to find his way, but was unable to see the trail markers” and was now alone. Over text messages, the sheriff’s deputies told him to “stay put until help arrived.”
Restaurant celebrates Laotian heritage with mural
The Green Hornets began the search for the lost man just before 7 p.m. They located him in less than an hour and he was not hurt. The team “safely guided him back to the trailhead, where he was reunited with his wife.”
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office website has a list of ten essentials they said everyone should take during hikes to reduce the risk of getting lost and being able to survive if you do.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
