(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska -The Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad's duty officer received a call from the Alaska State Troopers at 7:00 pm Monday, reporting a 77 year old male hiker from Nevada who was lost in the Ward Lake area. The troopers reported they had received a cell phone call from the man who said he had started down the Frog Pond Trail for a short hike around 3:30 pm. The man, whose identity was not released, reported he had taken a right off the main trail and had followed a flagged trail until he lost his way and was unable to find his way back to the trail. According to the Alaska State Troopers, the man reported he was disoriented, cold, and not prepared to spend the night in the woods.

Information provided by the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad said that cell phone contact with the lost hiker was intermittent and concern for his cell phone battery life prompted a request that he shut off his phone and follow a communication schedule.

Jerry Kiffer of the Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad, said a command post was established at the Frog Pond and search crews entered the woods at 8:16 pm. One dog and 13 volunteers searched the area until 10:00 pm without success. Kiffer said with the assistance of the Alaska State Trooper Dispatch, the lost hiker was able to access an App on his cell phone that gave his latitude longitude and with the last 12% of battery power remaining on his phone he was able to give the dispatcher his position.

Search crews were diverted to his reported GPS position and at 11:50 pm made contact with the lost hiker. He was cold and wet but was otherwise uninjured. The man was assisted out of the woods and was returned to his vehicle at 1:40 am Tuesday morning.

Kiffer noted that the use of a cell phone was instrumental in this rescue operation which resulted in the man returning home that night instead of spending a night out, with the real risk of hypothermia.

Kiffer said a take home message is to know the capabilities of your cell phone, download free Apps that will assist you in reporting your location in times of emergency, and understand that cell coverage is severely limited off the road system.

Kiffer invited folks stop in and check out a free SPOT locater beacon from KVRS anytime you are traveling in the back country.

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News: 

Ketchikan Volunteer Rescue Squad
www.

Alaska State Troopers
www.dps.state.ak.us

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