• Hunter Found at Loon Lake - 1993
A 64-year old hunter with a heart condition was found safe and sound near Loon Lake on the night of Friday October 22, 1993.
The man had become separated from his friends when, about dusk, the friends had decided to go around a brush covered area, while he elected to go straight through it. When the man did not rejoin his friends after dark as planned, they became concerned that he was lost and perhaps had suffered heart trouble.
Deputy Pat Harris ordered a search and rescue callout, then drove to the Loon Lake chalet and set up a command post. Search and Rescue teams were notified about 9:30 Friday night, and began arriving between 11 and midnight.
One of the first to arrive, Todd Flannigan, was sent into the field right away to make contact with the man's friends who had formed a search party of their own. Shortly after Todd arrived, he reported that they could hear the subject shouting - a reassuring sign. He seemed to be about a half mile from the lake, in the vicinity of the two dams on the west side.
Just as three more teams were preparing to leave the command post, Todd reported that the subject had been located.
It turned out that the man had not been lost so much as trapped in thick, impenetrable manzanita. Once he got into the maze, he could not find a way out, and as dark fell he became more and more confused. He reportedly was at the point of giving up and just waiting until morning when he found his way into the clear.
The man did not need medical attention, and elected to remain in camp with his friends. He was no doubt glad to get a hot meal and a warm sleeping bag after almost spending the night outdoors in nearly freezing weather.
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