Searchers find hiker in Los Padres National Forest
A hiker and his dog who failed to return as planned from a weekend trek in Los Padres National Forest were found on Tuesday morning by search and rescue crews, according to a news release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 11:20 a.m., Wesley Welch, 46, was found near an area known as Fish Camp, about two-thirds of the way from the beginning of his hike in the San Rafael Wilderness, the Sheriff’s Office said. His dog, Davie, was also found and is in good health.
Welch showed signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion and was flown by helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, the Sheriff’s Office said. Davie will be reunited with family after he’s evaluated by a veterinarian.
Welch and Davie left early Friday morning for a 40-mile hike in the Sisquoc Canyon area of the San Rafael Wilderness, according to the release. Welch was expected to return on Sunday evening.
Officials said Welch gave his family his planned route and expected time of return before he left on Friday. When Welch did not return on Sunday, a family member called the Sheriff’s Office to let them know that he was overdue, according to the release.
The Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team responded to the area and found Welch’s vehicle at the Manzana Creek trailhead near Nira Campground just after midnight, according to Noozhawk.
Authorities began searching for Welch at 5 a.m. Monday. The search, which involved search and rescue team members, additional deputies and a helicopter, lasted all day and continued at dawn on Tuesday, the Sheriff’s Office said. Due to the remote location and extreme terrain, some crews had to be flown into the search area by helicopter, according to the release.
Search and rescue teams from Orange County, Ventura County and Los Angeles County also helped in the search, the Sheriff’s Office said.
On Tuesday morning, search teams found a trail register that Welch had signed, which helped them pinpoint the area to search, and ultimately led to Welch himself.
Authorities said Welch completed about 38 miles of his 40-mile trek, and they commended him for taking actions like letting people know where he would be and how long he expected to hike, as well as signing trail registers along his route.
“One of Mr. Welch’s biggest advantages was maintaining a positive attitude during the unexpected turn of events,” the Sheriff’s Office said, adding that excessive heat in the area may have contributed to the incident.
This story was originally published July 30, 2019 at 9:04 AM.
