By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
Searchers set out about 7:30 a.m. today to find two Tacoma men who failed to meet up with their companions when it got dark last night following a mushroom picking outing in the woods about ten miles east of Packwood.
The experienced mushroom hunters, ages 60 and 66, were located a little more than an hour later, cold and wet but in good spirits, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
“The men told deputies they used their backpack to start a fire to stay warm overnight,” Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said in a news release. “They had cold weather clothing and rain gear.”
The men said they said they got turned around and decided to follow the stream downhill, according to the sheriff’s office. They had picked in the same area numerous times, but the terrain is rugged, steep, and has a lot of streams, according to the sheriff’s office.
They were off Forest Service Road 4510 yesterday with three others but didn’t show up back at their vehicle as planned when it got dark, Brown stated. Their companions got worried and called 911 last night, Brown said.
It was about 8:45 a.m. today when they were discovered walking downstream, just a quarter mile from their vehicle, according to Brown.
Members of the sheriff’s office, Lewis County Search and Rescue and Lewis County ATV conducted this morning’s search.
Sheriff Steve Mansfield took the opportunity to remind the public how easy it can be for even experienced outdoorsmen to become disoriented and lost.
It is so important that anyone heading outdoors be prepared for an emergency, Mansfield stated.
“These men had matches, appropriate clothing, and were well prepared to deal with the elements,” Mansfield said. “Proper preparation can often determine whether an outcome is positive or tragic.”