Snowshoe tracks lead rescuers to man missing for hours in Oregon forest, officials say

A man was missing in the Oregon forest for hours — until rescuers found his footprints.

A 63-year-old man left his home in the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 3, to snowshoe in the forest near his house, the Deschutes County Search and Rescue Foundation said.

The man from Bend was reported overdue after he didn’t return home for six hours, rescuers said.

The search and rescue team began scouring the area for the missing man. Thirteen volunteers searched the area on snowmobiles, cross country skis and a utility vehicle, officials said.

They eventually found footprints in the snow late into the night.

“Volunteers were able to locate the overdue person’s snow shoe impressions and observed they were heading west,” rescuers said on Facebook. “The subject was located by SAR volunteers at 2:18 a.m. near the base of Wake Butte.”

The man had been in the forest for over 12 hours when he was found, according to the search and rescue team.

Rescuers did not say if the man was injured. He declined medical assistance and was taken home.

This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 11:29 AM with the headline "Snowshoe tracks lead rescuers to man missing for hours in Oregon forest, officials say."