LAKE COUNTY >> A Cobb Mountain resident was found alive and well after becoming lost while hiking on Nov. 16 in the Boggs Mountain State Forest.
Some 35 searchers responded to look for the 72-year-old missing woman, according to Lake County Sheriff”s Office (LCSO) Public Information Officer Lt. Steve Brooks. The woman had gone with her dog to the forest to hike the Hoberg”s Loop Trail at 5 p.m. Family members called 9-1-1 after unsuccessfully searching for her.
She was found by an ATV Quad search team on a forest road at 11:15 p.m. She told rescuers that darkness had overtaken her and she had become disoriented. She started walking and ended up on one of the dirt roads. She decided to sit down.
“That was the best thing she could have done,” one of the searchers said. “It made it easy to find her”
A sheriff”s deputy was on scene at approximately 7:30 p.m., only a few minutes after the 9-1-1 call, Brooks reported. It was determined that additional searchers were needed. Eight Lake County Search and Rescue members and 20 Kelseyville High School (KHS) K-CORPS students responded. They began searching the trails and forest roads on foot and in all-terrain vehicles. The helicopter crew at the CAL Fire Boggs Mountain Helitac base and fire crews from Middletown and Kelsey Creek CAL FIRE stations also assisted with searches.
Jim Adams, incoming Lake County Search and Rescue Association president, said that everyone was elated that the she was found in good health.
“We were concerned that she had fallen down a hillside and was seriously injured, maybe non-responsive, or the dog had run off chasing an animal, and she got lost or injured chasing after it,” Adams said. “The training and concerted aggressive search effort really paid off in finding her in such a short amount of time especially in the dark.”
Search and Rescue members want the public to safely enjoy our recreational areas. They encourage county residents and guests to beware of their surroundings.
There are some simple things that will help people be safe, Brooks stated. These include telling others where you are going and when you expect to be back, dress for the weather, terrain and conditions, and have a signaling devise as simple as a whistle (three sharp blows signals distress). Above all, if lost or disoriented, stay put, be as visible as possible. Resist the urge to be “un-lost.”
In California and most western states, the sheriff”s office is responsible for missing persons, and search and rescue efforts, especially in unincorporated areas, Brooks stated. Sheriff”s offices have trained para-professional search and rescue volunteers. They meet national standards in search methods and rescue techniques. Their services are free.
K-CORPS is a KHS program that benefits the community, Brooks stated. Select juniors and seniors take classes in emergency first aid, man-tracking, map reading and orienteering, radio communications, technical rope rescue and other related subjects. For more information on K-CORPS contact their instructor and program coordinator Joanie Holt at the high school.
Lake County Search and Rescue is comprised of county residents who volunteer to search for the lost, missing and injured under the authority of the LCSO. Members train to national and professional standards. They are organized in groups such as ground and equine search teams. They learn and develop skills in man-tracking, wilderness first aid, technical rope rescue and evidence and clue identification. They employ planning, investigating and conducting search capabilities for the various terrains, conditions and weather found in Lake County.
For more information on Lake County Search and Rescue contact the LCSO or visit the search and rescue Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LakeCoSAR . Also, everyone is welcome to attend the Lake County Search and Rescue Association monthly meetings. They are held at 7 p.m. on the second Wednesday at the AWP Building located at 4913 Helbush Drive in Lakeport. There is no association meeting in December.
