By Brent Addleman

Editor

A 70-year-old hunter from Florida was rescued from the southeast corner of the Allegheny National Forest late Monday night by Elkland Search and Rescue, Elk County Emergency Management officials and the Ridgway-based state police.
According to Matt Young, president of Elkland Search and Rescue, the Florida man, who declined to be identified, became lost around 1 p.m. in the Tambine area between Johnsonburg and Wilcox. The man was hunting out of a camp in the area.
“He was very well-prepared for an evening in the woods,” Young said. “He is a retired police officer from Miami.”
The man was last seen around 1 p.m. and the call to Elkland Search and Rescue came in at 8:20 p.m. The man was found safely at 11:45 p.m. and was in good health.
A search was conducted on both foot and with the use of trucks and four-wheelers, according to Young. Young stated that 32 responders were active in the search that was conducted in just over three hours.
“We had a man-tracking team and we have several hasty teams,” Young said. “Hasty teams are a fast-foot team. Man-tracking  teams are much slower.”
The lost hunter was reported on a cell phone call to emergency officials.
“One of the gentleman hunting with him called in from a cell phone,” Young said. “The county was able to GPS locate his cell phone call and made it easier for us to find him.”
The hunter also followed protocol in becoming lost by giving searchers a means to find him.
“The individual sent off six rounds from his gun 15 minutes apart like you are supposed to do when you are lost, but that was earlier in the afternoon before we even got there,” Young said.