A missing hiker that was overcome with exhaustion Thursday evening was located in the National Forest and emergency crews worked to remove him safely and return him home.
According to Lieutenant Brian Davis of the Baxter County Sheriffs Office the 78-year-old man had left a note to his wife earlier in the day that he would be hiking in the Barkshed Recreational Area which is just north of Fifty-Six along Highway 14 South. When the man did not return home for dinner emergency services were notified that he was missing. Just when the Sheriff’s department was about to launch its helicopter to aid in the search, crews were able to contact the man on his cell phone. The man explained were he was and that he had become exhausted and needed help to hike out of the area.
Teams from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Parks Service, the Sheriff’s department and a dog team from the Benny Magness Unit at Calico Rock were on site to help locate the man and assist him in returning to the recreation area.
An ambulance was waiting when he was located but the man did not need to go to the hospital and was able to drive himself home.
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