Missing Hiker Found By Searchers

Missing Hiker Found By Searchers

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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NPS Digest is reporting that a man was rescued last week in the Great Smoky Mountains after reporting himself as being lost.

During the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 6th, a 37-year-old North Carolina hiker made several 911 calls reporting that he was lost, cold, and out of food and water. He was not equipped for winter weather, and had only a light jacket with him. The three calls he made were pinged and the last was found to be from Purchase Knob within the park, a site the man frequently visited.

A hasty search of that area was conducted by rangers and volunteers. They found several items thought to belong to the man along with fresh tracks in the snow. The nighttime temperature in the area was in the teens and the wind chill was near zero. While this hasty search was underway, Haywood County deputies conducted searches of the other two GPS points determined from the 911 calls, but he was not found in either area. The search around Purchase Knob continued until 10 p.m. on Wednesday and resumed at first light the next morning. The man was found in good health early that afternoon, walking down a road close to the park’s boundary.

Also assisting in the search were Haywood County Search and Rescue and the North Carolina Search and Rescue Dog Association.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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Overdue hiker in Smokies is located

Overdue hiker in Smokies is located

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

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Some of you may have heard about the missing hiker in the Smokies who was located on Sunday. A report on this morning's NPS Digest has provided more details on Chad Hunter's multi-day ordeal:

A major, week-long search for missing backpacker Chad Hunter came to a happy conclusion Sunday evening when he showed up at the Tricorner Knob Shelter on the Appalachian Trail, and hikers there notified park dispatch.

A three-person NPS team, including two medics, immediately set out for the shelter, arriving there at 2:30 a.m. They treated Hunter for minor injuries and dehydration and provided him with warm clothing and equipment. Because of the remote location, a decision was made to evacuate Hunter on Monday by helicopter instead of via a large ground carryout operation. An NPS helicopter sent to the site was unable to land due to high winds, so a Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter with a hoist was used instead. Hunter was lifted out, flown to the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport, and reunited with his family. He was then taken by Sevier County ambulance to LeConte Medical Center in Sevierville for evaluation and treatment. Rangers accompanied Hunter to the hospital to debrief him on his ordeal in the Smokies.

Hunter had originally planned to complete a four-day hike on Thursday. His family reported him missing on Friday.

Hunter told the rangers that he’d spent the night of Monday, March 14th, at Campsite 32 as scheduled and on Tuesday hiked into Greenbrier up the Ramsey Cascades Road to the Ramsay Cascades Trail to its end at the falls. He climbed past the falls and hiked cross-country along Ramsay Prong for about half a mile, but found the going very steep, rocky, and blocked by obstructions, so he decided to make his way up towards the ridgeline instead.

By Tuesday night he realized that he was off course and he camped that night with his sleeping bag and other gear.

On Wednesday, he made extremely slow progress due to dense rhododendron and estimated that it had taken him six to seven hours to cover just over a half mile. At that point he decided to abandon his pack because it was continually snagging on the heavy brush, slowing his progress. He hoped that without his pack he could make faster time and reach his goal of Tricorner Shelter more easily.

On Wednesday evening, he reached a relatively flat and somewhat open area, where he stayed until Sunday morning. During this time, he had only the clothes he was wearing plus a fanny pack with a little food and a headlamp – but no sleeping bag or other overnight gear. He said that he melted snow for water until Sunday, but had no other food after his small supply ran out. On Sunday morning, he set out first light; he considered going back down, but chose to continue up to the AT instead, ending up at the shelter.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Missing hiker found

Missing hiker found

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

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Yesterday I reported that a potential hiker went missing in the Smoky Mountains region. I received an email this morning from Peter Barr stating that the man has been located.

Here's the information that was forwarded to Peter and then onto me:

John was found by the police late last night. I got the news at 1 am. He claims that he told his wife he would not be home till this Friday. His cell phone was dead. I can only say that we know John to be a responsible person who has always stayed in touch and that this has been a radical change in his behavior. Thank goodness he is safe and we really do apologize for any wasted time and resources on your part. Thanks for all your help and concern.

This is all the information I have. Sounds like a communication break-down of some sorts between him and his wife. At this point there is no mention of where he was located or why he went "missing" for two days.

At least he's physically alright.

Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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Missing hiker in Smokies area

Missing hiker in Smokies area

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

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I received an email this afternoon from Peter Barr of NC Lookouts, asking me to post this information.

Apparently a hiker has gone missing. I say apparently because there's a posibility he went missing while not hiking as well.

Here's what's known about the situation and his itinerary based on Peter's email:

Hiker John Meisenhelder, 46, of Wilmington, NC, a member of the Triangle Outdoors Hiking Club, has been reported missing in the vicinity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He departed Friday, intending to hike numerous waterfalls in the Great SmokyMountains National Park and Nantahala National Forest. He did not leave a specific itinerary, but his general goal was to visit Ramsey Cascades, Rainbow Falls and Grotto Falls in the park, then drive to North Carolina to hike Middle Falls in the Snowbird Wilderness. He then intended to hike to Juneywhank Falls, Indian Creek Falls, and Alarka Falls in the Bryson City area.

The last confirmed contact was made on Saturday in Gatlinburg. On Saturday, he reported car troubles to his wife and purchased tires in Sevierville,TN. He was due home on Sunday night but did not return nor has he been heard from since. Debit card transactions reveal small purchases at fast food restaurants and gas stations in Robbinsville, NC on Sunday, in Franklin, NC on Monday, and Cashiers, NC on Tuesday. It is unknown if it is Meisenhelder who has been making these charges. His wife reports that lack of communication beyond a day's time has never occurred in the past.

A missing persons report has been filed and authorities in both the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and in the Nantahala National Forest have swept trailheads for all of his intended waterfalls and did not find John's vehicle. Meisenhelder is an experienced hiker and waterfall hunter. He is 5'7"and 135 lbs. with brown hair. He was driving a green Nissan pick-up truck with North Carolina Appalachian Trail specialty plates "TENT".

If anyone has encountered Meisenhelder on any of the trails in North Carolina or Tennessee, or anywhere else in the past several days, or has seen his vehicle, please call the Graham County NC police department at (828) 479-3352 immediately to share information on this missing person.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

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