Location: Mowery Meadow, Giant Sequoia National Monument

Incident Date: 10/15/16

Case Number: 16-13068

Posted by: Dispatch

On Sunday, 10/15/2016 at approximately 1534 hours, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office was advised of a missing hunter in the Giant Sequoia National Monument. George Green, 58 of Lakewood, California was hunting with two friends in the area of Mowery Meadows. Green had last been seen on Saturday morning. When he did not return to the group’s camp by Sunday, his friends hiked out to contact the Sheriff’s Office after conducting an extensive search of the immediate area.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue Team was notified and immediately began planning search operations for Monday morning. Search operations began at 0700 hours with 4 search teams hiking into the area. CHP helicopter H40 was forced to terminate air search operations due to poor visibility and sustained winds of over 50mph.

At approximately 1200 hours TCSO SAR personnel located Green near Jacobson Meadow. He had been walking for two days and had traveled nearly 20 miles. Green lost his sense of direction during a storm with near-zero visibility created by fog. He had no GPS. Green was treated for exposure and mild hypothermia at the scene. He was stabilized and was able to walk out approximately 6 miles with Deputies to the trailhead where he was reunited with family members.