WALDPORT — A mushroom hunter was found exhausted but in good condition Friday after calling 9-1-1 to report he was lost near the Harris Ranch Trail east of Waldport.
Cary Kerst, 79, of Eugene, made the call shortly after 2 p.m. Oct. 25 to say he had become disoriented after leaving the trail. A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy and its search and rescue team located Kerst’s car at the trailhead.
The Willamette Valley Communication Center provided GPS coordinates for Kerst’s cellphone based off his 9-1-1 call. He was located about a half-mile down the trail and 600 feet down a steep embankment. Kerst was carried out on a stretcher-basket to the trailhead and waiting family members.
The sheriff’s office reminds people hiking in the woods to look around regularly to stay oriented and to carry water, snacks and a fully-charged phone. It also recommends taking a GPS unit and being familiar with its operation.
