OKANOGAN – An 83-year-old man hiking in the North Cascade reached out to his brother with a satellite communication devise to say he was starting an “emergency camp” on Sept. 6 and the brother in turn contacted Okanogan County Search and Rescue and the man was rescued the next day.

“(The) man sent an InReach message to his brother stating ‘Emergency Camp.’ We were able to determine that the GPS coordinates were available through the InReach. That GPS location was mapped out by the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue (SAR) Coordinator and it was determined that he was in the Mill Creek Trail area,” said Undersheriff Dave Yarnell, adding that the Whatcom County SAR Coordinator was contacted and they were advised that there was a possible mission several miles into their county.

Okanogan County was then able to make contact with an individual who was camping in the Hart’s Pass area with other people who knew the person who had sent the InReach message and they had radio contact with the man calling for help.

“Radio communication was established between the campers and the man and it was found that he had hiked down a very steep hillside into Mill Creek and now could not get back out. We were able to make contact with the brother and told him of the situation. Whatcom County was also told of the current issue,” said the undersheriff. Whatcom County requested assistance from Okanogan County to provide services on this mission because Whatcom County was already involved in an active mission in the North Cascades and did not have enough staff to respond. It was established that the man had food and water.

“Due to the lateness of the reporting day, it was determined that Okanogan County Volunteer Search and Rescue would go into the location early on the morning of Sept. 7. The man who had called for assistance was advised through radios in the Hart’s Pass area to stay in place and that he would be assisted up in the morning,” said Yarnell.

Rescue personnel were transported to Chancellor by the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office were deployed to the Mill Creek location, arriving on foot about 11 a,m.

“Rescue personnel proceeded into the ravine and were able to get him back onto the trail through the use of technical rope methods. He was weak and tired, but the team was able to slowly walk him back to his camp and his fellow campers. The mission was completed at 7 p.m. Sept. 7th, said Yarnell.