UPDATE: Missing hiker found alive in northern California

TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. – A missing hiker has been found following an exhaustive search by family, friends and concerned community members.

David Ura and his dog Kingsley were found dehydrated but safe by Ura’s daughter and daughter in-law.

His daughter, Ashley May Ura,  said he has been eating fruit and drinking water, but hasn’t yet been to the hospital to be evaluated.

Ura was speechless, but happy to have her father back.

“It’s literally crazy, I don’t know,” said Ashley Ura to NBC5 News, moments after finding her father alongside the road.

Ashley and other family members were camped out by the Bigfoot Trailhead on Thursday night, making plans to search for David in the morning. She said they started searching around 6 a.m., and around 8 she and her sister-in-law spotted her dog Kingsley on the trail.

“We knew if we saw the dog my dad wouldn’t be too far off. Not even seconds later here comes my dad, slowly, slowly walking down as far as he can and I just run up and hug him and say, ‘Dad we found you,” Ashley said.

Ashley said her Dad had gone the past three to four days without food, and a day without water. He was dehydrated, but otherwise his same, “jokester” self.

“My heart hurts, but in a good way,” Ashley said. “I just don’t even know how to explain it, it’s just so wonderful to have my dad and my dog back.”

Ashley wants to thank everyone who shared the news that her father was missing, along with all of the family members, friends and strangers who joined in on the search efforts. Additionally, those who contributed financially through a GoFundMe account, that has raised just over $3,000 as of Friday.

On June 15, 2018, 63-year-old David Ura and his dog Kingsley set out to hike the Bigfoot Trail, which begins in Tehama County and ends in Crescent City.

Ashley May Ura, David’s daughter, said she and her brother were supposed to meet their dad in Hayfork, California, on June 21st, roughly five to six days into his trip, but he never showed up.

“It’s not like my dad to just go missing and he’s the type of person that if something was wrong he would try to make it – he would try to make it so he was known that he was missing,”Ashley May Ura said. Ashley explained her father is an active hiker and had been planning this trip for a year, he even bought two compasses just to be safe.

His family reported David Ura missing to the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office and shared their story online to try to get the word out, even setting up a GoFundMe account aid in the search.

On June 26, NBC5 News reported the search for David was still ongoing. The Tehama County Sheriff’s Office conducted their own search by air but said they couldn’t search on the ground until they had a centralized location.

Danielle Maxwell is from California and doesn’t know the Ura family, but she saw a Facebook post from David’s daughter and wanted to help. She’s planned on putting together a search team to go down to the start of Bigfoot trail on June 28 and begin searching the next day.

On June 29, Ashley May Urea posted the following message on Facebook: “EVERYONE!!! MY FAMILY AND I FOUND MY DAD!!! With everyone’s hope and prayers! We were able to find my dad!! Thank you so much to everyone that participated in spreading the word, donated, helped with the search to look for my dad!”

NBC5 News is working to confirm more details of this breaking story. Check back for updates.

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