PORT ANGELES — A lost 77-year-old Poulsbo man was airlifted safe and sound but cold from Olympic National Forest after getting separated from his hiking party Sunday and spending the night in the area of the Upper Dungeness Trail.
Robin Schultz took a wrong turn at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, was reported missing at 5 p.m. that day, and was lifted out of the national forest by an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter based at Sector Field Office-Air Station Port Angeles at about 11 a.m. Monday, Coast Guard and Clallam County Sheriff’s Office officials said.
Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brian King said Schultz built a fire to keep warm in temperatures that were in the upper 30s to lower 40s before retracing his steps Monday morning and running into two members of his six-person camping party who were looking for him.
They reunited near where Goat Lake Trail intersects with Upper Dungeness Trail, King said.
The helicopter found them a short time later, King said.
The pilot touched down in a basin and airlifted Schultz to Sequim Valley Airport, where he was evaluated for exposure by Sequim Fire District No. 3 personnel before being released, King said.
“He was cold but in generally good health for spending the night out there,” King said.
“He had warm clothes and food.”
Schultz had separated from his companions shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Three hikers from the party came out to the trailhead where they were able to call 9-1-1 while two of the other hikers kept searching for him.
Sheriff’s Office search and rescue personnel searched the Camp Handy, Goat Lake and Cougar Camp areas until 1:30 a.m. Monday, resuming at 9 a.m. and contacting a canine tracking team before Schultz’s hiking companions found him, King said.
Air Force Rescue Coordination Center personnel requested assistance from a Coast Guard aircrew at 8:48 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard said in a press release.
The Port Angeles aircrew arrived at the assigned search area at 10 a.m. and searched for an hour before locating the man on the Dungeness Trail, the Coast Guard said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@ peninsuladailynews.com.
