Man Who Went Missing On Mt. Whitney Hike As Storm Rolled Through Found Alive
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK (AP/CBS13) — A Mount Whitney hiker who went missing as a late-season storm swept through the Sierra Nevada last week was found alive during the weekend, authorities said.
Searchers rescued Edward Lee Alderman several miles west of the Whitney summit on Sunday, a Sequoia National Park statement said.
Alderman, 33, of Austin, Texas, was "reported to be alert, despite injuries, fatigue and exposure to subfreezing temperatures," the statement said.
Alderman had last been seen as he hiked to the summit on Thursday and he was reported missing on Friday.
Mount Whitney's summit elevation is around 14,500 feet (4,419.6 meters) .
Helicopter crews searched the area on Saturday and ground searchers went in on Sunday after the storm cleared out.
The missing man was located with the help of a tip from other hikers who reported they heard a voice in the vicinity of Timberline Lake early Sunday. A helicopter picked him up and took him for medical care, the National Park Service said.
"With large numbers of people heading into the wilderness this summer, we urgently remind everyone to prepare carefully for their trips and understand that there are real risks out there," said Dave Fox, the incident commander.
Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.