A 60-year-old experienced hiker and his dog were safely located and rescued on Monday, July 21st, after becoming disoriented in the vast Caribou Wilderness of western Lassen County. The multi-agency search effort, initiated on Saturday, involved ground crews, horse teams and air support, culminating in a successful outcome.
The search began on Saturday when the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office received a report of the missing hiker. He had departed his basecamp for a day hike with his dog but lost his bearings. Fortunately, he was able to find a brief window of cell service to contact his wife, informing her of his situation before his phone battery died. He then decided to stop moving for the night and planned to navigate back to camp on Sunday.
Upon receiving the report, two deputies and a sergeant from the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office immediately responded to the area of Hay Meadows, hiking to Beauty Lake in an initial attempt to locate the pair. Their efforts on Saturday were unsuccessful, prompting a planned second attempt for Sunday morning.
Sunday morning, a deputy and lieutenant, aided by California Highway Patrol Helicopter H-14, located the unattended base camp. A ground search of the rugged, steep, and rocky terrain around Beauty Lake proved challenging, leading to the activation of the Lassen County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team. Five ground searchers and a two-person horse team were deployed to the area. Information was also shared with Lassen Volcanic National Park authorities due to the possibility the hiker may have ventured into the park seeking assistance. As night approached, boot and dog tracks were lost in the dense vegetation northwest of Beauty Lake, and searchers returned to the staging area.
The search intensified on Monday morning with the addition of a second two-person horse team from the Lassen County Sheriff’s Posse, personnel from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue, and their helicopter, RAVEN.
United States Forest Service personnel also joined the effort, and a secondary search within Lassen Volcanic National Park commenced.
Just before 10:00a.m. on Monday, RAVEN spotted the missing hiker and his dog approximately 1.9 miles northwest of his basecamp. RAVEN promptly provided the hiker with food and water while the horse teams made their way to the location. The hiker and his dog were then safely led back to their basecamp at Beauty Lake. The hiker was reported to be in good condition, declining any medical assistance and stating his only complaint was being tired.
The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office extended its sincere gratitude to all the agencies and teams involved in the successful rescue mission, including the California Highway Patrol, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team, RAVEN, the Lassen County Sheriff’s Posse, the Lassen Volcanic National Park, and the United States Forest Service, for their exceptional teamwork.
