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Happy Ending Near Pillikin Road
October 1993
The search for a missing hunter on Saturday October 10, 1993, in the Pillikin Road area ended happily when the subject was found by his friends.
The missing hunter was one of three from Sacramento. Their plan on Saturday had been to take separate looping paths through the woods and meet up again Saturday evening. But one hunter did not show up at the appointed time and place.
When the first searchers arrived that evening they learned that the subject was wearing only a T-shirt, Levis and canvas shoes. They also learned that the subject had suffered several broken ankles in the past. He had brought some candy and a cigarette lighter with him, but disappointed searchers found them in his car.
When a limited overnight search turned up no clues, more local resources were called out Sunday morning. The Cliff and Swiftwater teams broke off their training at Cool and drove across the county to the command post at Iron Mountain Road and Pillikin Road, about 12 miles east of Sly Park.
It was still early morning when the good news arrived that two of the subject's friends had found him walking down a dirt road. He was tired, hungry and and thirsty but otherwise in good shape.
When he was debriefed, he reported that after he truly realized he was lost, he fired groups of three shots into the air, and later single shots, but no one heard him. Later that night he could see lights moving up on distant ridges; he shouted in that direction, but they were too far away to hear him. Without his lighter (which he will probably never forget again), he spent a cold night outdoors. |