Two searches in Crook County, all three missing people found

Published 1:11 am Thursday, May 7, 2015

Crook County Search and Rescue went out on two searches Monday, and all three missing people were found.

At about 9:30 p.m. searchers went to the area of Walton Lake to look for two overdue hikers, according to a news release from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office. The search began at the North Walton Lake trailhead, where one of the hiker’s vehicles was found. The search teams figured out the direction in which the hikers were traveling and decided to expand the search area to the Round Mountain access road. Searchers found the missing hikers on Forest Service spur 200 off Forest Service Road 42. Both of the hikers were cold and hungry but in good condition; neither was prepared for wilderness hiking, the release said. The sheriff’s office did not name the hikers.

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Search and Rescue gave the hikers food, water and blankets and took them back to their vehicle. The pair had let friends and family know the general area in which they planned to hike, according to the sheriff’s office, which helped Search and Rescue. The sheriff’s office reminds hikers that at this time of year, traveling in the forest can still be hazardous. The office recommends hikers plan ahead, tell someone the route planned and stick to that route and bring a cellphone, food, water, clothing and blankets.

Also on Monday, at about 7:30 a.m., sheriff’s deputies received a report of a 42-year-old missing man and welfare check from the SE Bridge Creek area of Prineville. The man had walked away from his home with a possible medical issue. Search and Rescue and deputies began searching the area, but at 11:30 a.m. they found out there was no medical problem. The search stopped, and the man later returned home, according to the news release.

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