Josephine County, Ore.- Three search and rescue teams were dispatched in Josephine County Thursday night after reports of an overdue elderly man.
The 83-year-old man’s wife called the Sheriff’s Office after he failed to return home from collecting wood in the Illinois Valley. The wife said the man would frequently go up Page Mountain, Sanger Peak or Kerby Mainline Rd. to search for manzanita wood.
The search and rescue crews immediately went to the main roads in those areas in an attempt to find the man or his vehicle.
At 9:15 p.m., a search team located the man walking on a road near Lake Selmac. He was tired from walking, but otherwise in good condition. The man told searchers his vehicle was stuck, so he’d been walking to find a passer-by for help.
Search crews gave the man a ride home.
Josephine County Sheriff’s Office wants to remind anyone spending time outdoors to let someone know where you’re going, then stick with the plan. That way, should something happen, it will be easy to locate you.
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