Missing Man Found - Alpine County

Use this forum to stay informed on missing persons alerts, active SAR's and unfortunate hiker accidents we can all hopefully learn from. Any information you may have on a missing person, including first hand weather related information or any other insight (however little) may prove to be critical information to Law Enforcement / SAR in locating the person in question.
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Vaca Russ
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Missing Man Found - Alpine County

Post by Vaca Russ »

We bagged Raymond Peak last Saturday. We were stopped by the Alpine County Sheriff who asked us to look out for a missing man.

There was a CHP helecopter flying around conducting the search.

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/08/ ... ne-county/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ALPINE COUNTY (CBS13) — A West Sacramento fisherman was lost with no food for five days in the wilderness of Alpine County. Mike Vilhauer hasn’t been fishing all year, because of the state drought. A friend told him there may be fish up in Wet Meadows Reservoir, so Vilhauer decided to make the trip alone last Wednesday.

Vilhauer said he didn’t have any luck fishing at the reservoir, so he moved to another lake. Striking out again, Vilhauer thought crickets would make better bait, so he walked into the forest with a butterfly net.

“I just couldn’t find anything to catch,” said Vilhauer, who didn’t bring his food or gear, because he only planned to be gone 15 minutes.
“In the meantime, I’m jig-jagging up and down the ridges.”

Vilhauer was lost. By night fall, he had to make a shelter out of pine needles to keep warm, but storm blew through the mountains.

“It got really, really cold.”

The next morning, Vilhauer still could not find the lake he was fishing on.

“Every time I’d walk up one ridge and go up the mountain, I’d think, ‘There’s the lake.’ And there would be nothing,” said Vilhauer.

Vilhauer was in the mountains in Alpine County for five days without food. He said he encountered a wolverine, a large herd of deer, and found several bear tracks.

“I had to keep going down to get water, because I didn’t have anything to carry it,” said Vilhauer who drank out of streams and creeks.

Search and rescue teams started on Friday, but kept missing an exhausted Vilhauer.

“A couple of choppers kept going by and I thought this is not good, because usually after they finish one area, they move to the next.”

Vilhauer made the decision to stay in one spot by a stream.

“I made these big 8 to 10 feet letters ‘HELP’ in pine needles,” said Vilhauer.

He was rescued Sunday afternoon after a helicopter spotted Vilhauer’s ‘Help’ sign. He was uninjured, but exhausted. He said he was only four miles from the lake when he was rescued, but he traveled in circles during his ordeal.

“That’s when they told me, by-the-way, there’s no fish in that lake,” said Vilhauer.

It looks like this SAR turned out good!! :D :nod: :D :nod:

Thanks,

-Russ
"...Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

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rlown
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Re: Missing Man Found - Alpine County

Post by rlown »

Vaca Russ wrote: Search and rescue teams started on Friday, but kept missing an exhausted Vilhauer.

“A couple of choppers kept going by and I thought this is not good, because usually after they finish one area, they move to the next.”

Vilhauer made the decision to stay in one spot by a stream.

“I made these big 8 to 10 feet letters ‘HELP’ in pine needles,” said Vilhauer.

He was rescued Sunday afternoon after a helicopter spotted Vilhauer’s ‘Help’ sign. He was uninjured, but exhausted. He said he was only four miles from the lake when he was rescued, but he traveled in circles during his ordeal.

“That’s when they told me, by-the-way, there’s no fish in that lake,” said Vilhauer.

It looks like this SAR turned out good!! :D :nod: :D :nod:
And that last quote is why we need the lake fishing status to be published more broadly. :)

Lots of lessons in that story. Thanks for posting it Russ.

Stay in one place if lost.

Make yourself as visible as possible.

Carry the basic essentials if you leave camp on a "day hike"

Let people know where you're going.

Russ
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SSSdave
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Re: Missing Man Found - Alpine County

Post by SSSdave »

V ...Vilhauer thought crickets would make better bait, so he walked into the forest with a butterfly net.

DS There are lots of crickets in the high country but a butterfly net ain't gonna catch any as they are safely all down in the small cracks in the soil and stay there haha.

V By night fall, he had to make a shelter out of pine needles to keep warm, but storm blew through the mountains. “It got really, really cold.”

DS Saying he did not bother to carry warm clothing even with T-storms forecast or any firestarter or matches. In fact maybe didn't check the weather forecast.

V Every time I’d walk up one ridge and go up the mountain, I’d think, ‘There’s the lake.’ And there would be nothing,” said Vilhauer.

DS Saying he did not bother to carry a map.

V Vilhauer was in the mountains in Alpine County for five days without food.

DS Saying he did not bother to carry anything to eat since that is what trout are for.

V He said he encountered a wolverine,

DS He said he encountered a "marmot" :)
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