Search Continues For Gunman Who Shot Volunteer Looking For Missing Man
WASHINGTON, Calif. (CBS13/AP) - A 69-year-old volunteer rescuer is recovering while authorities search for the gunman who shot him as he was helping to look for a missing hiker in a remote part of Northern California.
Steve Wolf was scouring a steep portion of the South Yuba River near the rural town of Washington with two team members when two shots rang out in the canyon, Nevada County sheriff's officials said in a statement Wednesday.
Wolf and the others stayed put and radioed for help. Wolf was transported to a hospital Tuesday night where he underwent surgery for a shot to the hip. He is in stable condition.
The search and rescue volunteers were looking for Timothy Hansston, 75, who has been missing since Aug. 4. Authorities suspended the search while the shooter remains at large.
The missing hiker is not believed to have any involvement in the shooting.
Debbie Shipley reflected on her good friend who was last seen six days ago before setting off on the Yuba River Trail.
"Super sweet guy, family man," she said. "He works out at the gym every day. He is fit as can be."
Investigators are narrowing their focus on who shot the volunteer.
"Who has an interest in this area? Is it a gold miner? Is it a marijuana grower?" said Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal.
Dan Sarna camps at the river all the time and knows to keep an eye out in the woods nearby.
"There are a lot of areas where you really have to be careful when you go into because it's pretty secluded and sometimes people come to secluded places because they don't want to be bothered or found," he said.
Wolf is a dedicated search and rescue volunteer and avid hiker. He recently hiked the Grand Canyon and routinely hikes the Sierra Nevada range, the Placer County sheriff's office said in a statement.
Paul Schmidt, operations captain for the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, said it wasn't clear what prompted the shooting.
"We have absolutely no information on who or why," he told The Associated Press.
Authorities are warning people to stay out of the river canyon area while the search is being conducted.
