Hiker and Friend Safe After Separately Spending the Night Lost in the Forest

A mushroom picker and his friend are home safe after both separately got lost and ending up needing rescue.

The Chelan County Sheriff's Office said a 77-year-old man out to pick mushrooms went missing near the Chiwawa River north of Plain around 2:00 pm Thursday. A female friend then went to look for him and also went missing.

Several local agencies searched for the hikers until the next day, when the woman was located in the morning and her friend was found by helicopter on a riverbank that afternoon. Ground searches found clues that led the helicopter to search the right direction.

The mushroom picker was reportedly wet and cold from spending the night alone in the woods, but was uninjured.

The Sheriff's Office is reminding people to avoid going out into the woods unprepared and alone.