An Oregon mountain biker was reported missing on Friday, July 11, near Trillium Lake in Mount Hood National Forest. The missing person report launched a massive search and rescue operation over the past six days that even involved the Oregon National Guard.
The rider is Ralph Sawyer, a 52-year-old mountain biker who is said to be familiar with the area. Shortly after he was reported missing, his car was located at a trailhead by his wife Marcy. His cell phone had accidentally been left inside.
“On Sunday, around 70 searchers covered over 250 miles using ground vehicles, ATVs, and motorbikes,” wrote Sana Aljobory in an article on Katu.com. “Technical rope teams and drones were deployed to search steep terrains, while a helicopter from the Oregon National Guard provided aerial support.”
By Thursday, the search efforts included teams from the Clackamas County Search and Rescue, Portland Mountain Rescue, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Hood River Crag Rats, Mountain Wave Emergency Communications, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Air Unit, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Posse, and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Posse. Despite an intense search effort, the teams were not able to locate Sawyer.
So you can imagine everyone’s surprise when he wandered out of the woods on Thursday, returned to his car, loaded his bike, and drove himself home.
Lost mountain biker wanders out of woods, drives himself home
Sawyer apparently had stashed his bike near the trail and headed off into the mountains on foot, according to an interview with Diane Brown, a friend of the family. The search and rescue teams had not been able to locate his bike.
“Somehow, he didn’t fall, but he lost his footing, ended up having to go down a very, very steep incline, and ended up in a lot of brush, in this area that was really difficult to maneuver. He ran out of water and had to drink the stream water and then make his way out,” Brown said.
According to Brown, Sawyer couldn’t climb back up the mountain the same way, so he followed a stream out to a road. “He walked out through a lot of brush, [and was] incredibly ill during that time from drinking some of the water.”
Sawyer returned to his car on Thursday morning, retrieved his bike from the woods, put it on his bike rack, and then drove home.
“Mr. Sawyer showed up to a neighbor’s house tired, cold, dirty, and worn out,” wrote the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in a news release. “Gresham Police confirmed it was him, and he was transported to a local hospital to be checked out.”
“We knew if anyone could make it out, it would be him,” Brown said. “I think it’s fair to say that as the week went on, you start to be a little discouraged and confused on why you can’t find him, but when we got the call today, that he had driven home, I think there was shock, [and then we thought], ‘Well, of course he did.'”
Jennifer Burkhart, another friend of the family, expressed “immense gratitude and relief. There really aren’t any words to express. I’m just glad he’s okay, and glad for his family, for Marcy and Finn, it’s incredible.”
0 Comments