Rescuers find camper alive 2 days after going missing in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness

Key Points:

• Search and rescue teams located 68-year-old John Nelson alive around 8:42 p.m. Thursday, about 5 miles from Russell Lake in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness; he had been missing since Tuesday after leaving his campsite alone.
• Nelson was found in a deep drainage near the South Breitenbush Trail, an area difficult to access due to downed trees and burned timber from historic wildfires, and was unable to hike out due to his condition and rugged terrain.
• Rescue volunteers stayed with Nelson overnight, and on Friday morning, an Oregon Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopter transported him to a landing zone for medical evaluation before reuniting with his family.
• Nelson, a retired medical doctor with prior hiking experience including summiting Mount Jefferson, had begun his trip with a longtime hiking partner but went missing after departing alone; over 100 search and rescue volunteers and multiple agencies participated in the extensive search effort.
• Authorities emphasized the importance of hiking safety measures such as staying with partners, informing others of plans, and carrying GPS or emergency communication devices to improve rescue outcomes in remote wilderness areas.