A lost local mushroom hunter was found by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office this week with assistance from rescue volunteers in stormy, cold conditions, according to officials.
A family member contacted the sheriff’s office on Tuesday and reported that a 36-year-old Aurora resident, Trevor Schultes, had gone on a mushroom-picking outing but had not returned, officials said.
He had last been seen around 5:30 p.m. Monday, October 31, near the east end of Wildcat Mountain Road in the Mount Hood National Forest. The family member reported Schultes was not properly equipped for an overnight camp in the wilderness, deputies said.
A CCSO deputy responded and found Shultes’ car at approximately 3,200 feet elevation, and a search-and-rescue mission was initiated, with 28 volunteers responding.
Despite heavy rain and hail, dense terrain and near-freezing temperatures, Schultes was located by rescuers at about 4:30 p.m. after making faint voice contact with one of the teams.
He was hypothermic and became non-responsive shortly after being discovered. Rescuers provided first-aid and warmed Schultes, giving him dry clothes and warm liquids before transferring him to a fiberglass shed and preparing to evacuate.
Night fell as the rescuers continued to work, and a severe thunderstorm passed over the area — showering the team with hail and snow and dropping temperatures to 33 degrees.
The team cut a trail through the dense undergrowth to transport Schultes to the nearest road, where an ambulance from American Medical Response was waiting to take him to a local hospital for treatment.