By Jerald Jimenez
25 Jul 2024, 09:26 AM EDT
A 70-year-old man has been located after going missing for nearly a week on a California off-road trail on the Rubicon Trail.
Warren Elliott was found Wednesday morning at Hell Hole Reservoir. He was in good spirits despite his ordeal, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office said.
Elliott had become separated from his group on Friday afternoon while they were camping at Rubicon Springs. The group was working on rehabilitating a trail in preparation for an upcoming event called Jeepers Jamboree. Despite being familiar with the area, Elliott became disoriented upon returning from his hike and headed in the wrong direction.
Despite being lost, Elliott managed to stay hydrated by drinking water from a river and ate a handful of berries he found along the way, according to authorities. Although he was found about nine miles as the crow flies from the point where he was last seen, it is estimated that Elliott walked much further than that during the five days he was missing.
Placer County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Elise Soviar said Elliott was airlifted because of the site’s isolated location. A California Highway Patrol helicopter flew the 70-year-old to the command center at Homewood Mountain Resort, where he was greeted with cheers and applause by his family and search and rescue teams.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office expressed its gratitude to the Jeepers Jamboree organization, which provided food, drinks and overnight accommodations during the search. A large number of investigators from 10 agencies across the state participated in the search, using drones and canine teams to locate Elliott.
The Rubicon Trail, where Elliott went missing, is a roughly 22-mile-long trail near Lake Tahoe. It is known for being one of California’s most popular off-road vehicle trails.
With information from ABC News
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