An amateur gold panner was rescued after going missing in a California forest for two days.
The search started on Thursday when the man and his friend started hiking through Plumas National Forest in northern California. One of the hikers became tired and the other went to look for water before the two became separated, according to the Butte County Sheriff’s Office.
The man that had been left waited for his friend in the same spot, choosing to spend the night outside. On Saturday, he decided to hike back to their truck, hoping the missing man would be there. Once he got back to the truck and did not see his friend and he called 911 to raise the alarm.
A rescue helicopter was deployed and managed to locate the missing man’s campfire on a steep cliff. A joint rescue team from the Butte County Search and Rescue and CalFire were then deployed to save the man.
Following a hike through “very thick” vegetation, the crew found the missing man and determined he was in good health and without major injury. He was then rescued from the canyon.
The sheriff’s office is now using the incident to warn hikers against splitting up from each other.
“You should always stay together, surviving as a team is always easier than surviving alone,” the office said in a statement. Officials are encouraging hikers to find emergency shelter and stay put if they get lost, in addition to carrying fire-starting materials.
