Lost Halloween hiker rescued on Mt. Tam overnight
The hiker said he had been hiking on the mountain since about 2:30 p.m. on Friday, but he had taken a wrong turn. (Courtesy of the Marin County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue team)
MARIN COUNTY, Calif. - A man was rescued on Mount Tamalpais early Saturday morning after he became lost while out on a hike the previous afternoon.
The backstory:
The hiker was reported missing about 5:30 p.m. on Friday by his wife, who told authorities that she spoke with her husband on the phone.
The hiker explained to his wife that he had been hiking on the mountain since about 2:30 p.m. on Friday, but he had taken a wrong turn. However, he said he knew where he was and that it would take him about 90 minutes to hike his way back to his car at Rock Springs trailhead.
The man’s wife was able to provide authorities with a "find my phone" location near Bon Tempe Dam at 5:30 p.m. Marin sheriff’s deputies searched for the man on the fire roads in the area, but could not find him.
The rescue:
The Marin County Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue team was called by department deputies about 11:20 p.m. Friday to help find the man on the north side of the mountain, and 35 members responded with e-bikes, a UTV and a drone to search for the man along the trail network between Alpine Lake and Rock Springs.
The California Highway Patrol aided the search by providing an aircraft that produced thermal images of the area, and search teams were deployed from Rock Springs and Sky Oaks to cover the area quickly.
Just after 2:00 a.m., a team found the missing hiker above the Kent Trail near Van Wick Creek. He was given water, and found to be in good condition, if a little dehydrated.
The man told authorities that his phone had run out of battery just after nightfall, and he ended up wandering off of the trail due to the darkness. Police said the man suffered "a couple non-injury falls before deciding to stay put for the night."
The hiker, with help, was able to walk back to the trailhead and was then taken by a deputy back to his own car.
Authorities reported he was "grateful to be found and extricated."