ASH FORK, Ariz. — Search and rescue teams found a man alive after he had gotten lost in the rugged juniper forest Friday.
The man was reported missing by his roommate Friday morning after he had gone missing the previous afternoon.
The man's roommates had done their own search for the man the previous day, the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
Yavapai County Search and Rescue Team 4x4 and Back County units followed snowy and muddy tracks as darkness neared and a snowstorm approached Friday night. Crews battled rugged terrain and rutted roads.
Search and rescue crews found the man inside an abandoned camper shell in an old hunting camp.
The man was alive, but suffering from probable hypothermia. The man had survived the night by lighting a small campfire.
The man had walked away from his trailer, tried to find his way back, but didn't know he was going the wrong direction.
Sheriff's office officials said that rescue crews should be notified as soon as someone is known to be missing. The passage of time makes it harder to find a person, and less likely a person can survive in adverse conditions.
If you are lost, the sheriff's office says to stop moving. People's efforts to find their way back often stall the rescue.
