Hiker Spends Cold Night In Sierra After Getting Disoriented On Loch Leven Lakes Trail
PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) – A missing hiker is safe after spending the night lost in the Sierra, authorities say.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office says a man named Matthew Chace had gone hiking at the Loch Leven Lakes Trail near Cisco Grove on Wednesday. A friend of his stayed behind.
That friend started getting worried when it started getting dark and Chace had not come back. At 9 p.m., the friend called the sheriff's office to report Chace missing.
Deputies went out to the trailhead, but couldn't find Chace anywhere nearby.
Inclement weather and lack of air support forced deputies to call off the search that night. But, the next morning, search and rescue volunteer's and a California Highway Patrol helicopter went out in force to find Chace.
Chace was soon spotted in a clearing and was picked up and rescued by the helicopter.
It appears Chace got disoriented during the hike and veered off-trail. He spent a night in the cold rain with no food, but medics say he's doing OK.
Chace has since started a fundraiser on Facebook to raise money for the sheriff's office search and rescue unit.
