Colorado Rescuers Find Missing Hiker and His Dog Who Spent 23 Hours on Trail After Taking a 'Shortcut'

A hiker ended up on a trail for 23 hours after deciding to take a “shortcut to save time,” Colorado rescuers said.

According to Chaffee County Search and Rescue North, a man and his dog were hiking with another person on the Missouri Gulch trail on June 11 before the two hikers got separated.

The man’s hiking partner arrived back at their starting point and waited 10 hours for the man to return. After the man and his dog never appeared, his hiking partner called 911 to report him missing.

Two rescue teams were dispatched early in the morning of June 12. They spoke to campers in the area who reported seeing the man, leading the resume teams to sweep the area.

The man and his dog were spotted near a creek uninjured and exhausted, rescuers said.

After a successful mission, the man and rescuers hiked back out of the trail after “a long night for all involved,” officials said in their news release. 

“He descended the Belford Gulch drainage (where there is no established trail/route), arriving at the base of the basin late evening,” rescuers said. “However, due to the high water levels, he couldn’t cross the creek, and had to bushwhack back through rough terrain to try and regain the route.” 

The rescue team included a few takeaways after the incident: stay with your hiking partner(s), understand the consequences of your route, and “consider the endurance of your furry friends.”
 

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