NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

Civil Air Patrol Finds Missing Hikers

By Major Mike Sandstrom, CAP, Michigan Wing Director of Public Affairs

Two missing hikers were located by the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the official Auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, in Northern Michigan yesterday.

The hikers - who had been missing since Sunday - were located after a CAP air crew spotted a signal fire lit by the hikers yesterday.

The search was coordinated by CAP Lt. Col. Raj Kothari, as incident commander, who quickly launched both air crews and ground teams from around the state to participate in the search.

The hikers departed on Friday and were last heard from on Sunday afternoon. When they didn't show up to their vehicle at the appointed time, the search was initiated by the sheriff's department in Eagle River, Mich.

Assistance was requested from the U.S. Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC), which deployed the Michigan Wing of the Civil Air Patrol to the search. Lt. Col. Kothari assumed the position as incident commander and launched three aircraft and five ground teams who traveled up to the Lake Superior shoreline from all over the state.

After a well coordinated search, an air crew spotted smoke from a signal fire and located the hikers. The air crew guided a CAP ground team to the location, and they met and identified the hikers, who were alive and well.

News of the Force