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No Comments [ Add Comment ]Missing hunter found after cold night in mountains
By SAM COOPER
HUNTSVILLE -- A cold, wet night in the mountains ended well for a lost hunter Monday after rescue workers found the man by following his footprints.
Durk Haywood, 36, of Clearfield, was hunting grouse with some friends near Lightning Ridge early Sunday evening when he became separated from the group, said Weber County Sheriff's Office Capt. Klint Anderson.
The group was hunting in a thickly forested area where it's easy to get turned around and lost, Anderson said. and the conditions were cold, wet and foggy.
The rest of the group immediately started looking for Haywood and notified his family members, who aided in the search.
In a strange coincidence, the searchers encountered an elk hunting party that had just found a different hunter who had been lost in the area. The group of elk hunters notified police Sunday night, who joined in the search for Haywood at first light Monday morning.
Weber County Search and Rescue teams began combing the hills and found Haywood shortly before 10 a.m. Monday, about a half a mile from where he was last seen. He was found after one of the teams discovered some fresh footprints and followed them, Anderson said.
Haywood, who was wearing only a T-shirt, a cap and overalls, spent the night huddled up to stay out of the wind, Anderson said.
"It (the clothing) would have been fine during the daytime but was not nearly good enough for last night," Anderson said.
Temperatures were just above the freezing point during the night, with rain turning to snow by early morning.
Haywood was cold and wet but OK, Anderson said.
The hunter did the right thing by not wandering far from the area, he said. "If they move too far, it's just going to take us longer to find them," Anderson said.
Early fall is a particularly dangerous time of year for hunters because of the unpredictable climate, Anderson said.
"We recommend people take a little extra clothing in case the weather changes or they have to spend the night," he said.
A few simple things can make all the difference when lost, he said.
Emergency ponchos, matches, a compass or GPS device and extra food should be taken, even on short day trips, Anderson said. Other items, such as a cell phone or two-way radio, can help groups avoid becoming separated.
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