(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
June 02, 2015 - 6:56 AM
KAMLOOPS - A mushroom picker last seen near Lytton on Saturday was found safely this early this afternoon.
Kamloops Search and Rescue were called in to assist Merritt Search and Rescue members, along with Logan Lake Search and Rescue, in looking for the person in the Botanie Valley area near Lytton.
Kamloops Search Manager Alan Hobler said the 68-year-old picker was expected to spend the day in the area hit by fire last year. Typically mushrooms grow really well after a fire but pickers usually stay in flat terrain, which had Hobler concerned.
"Typically lost mushroom pickers were found in flat areas, here it's a valley," Hobler said. "(But) pickers can travel really far and can be really evasive — they don't want people to know where the good stuff is. They will hike 10 kilometres sometimes to get to a good picking area."
Hobler noted pickers are typically outdoorsy but not usually prepared for to spend an extended period outside because they prefer to travel light and pack as many mushrooms back as possible.
Teams were called out around 3 a.m. and a certified dog team will be assisting crews. Hobler said they will likely do a quick search this morning and then put another call out later this morning in hopes of getting more teams from around the province aiding in the search.
Shortly after 1 p.m. Hobler indicated the person had been located safe and crews were heading home.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
— This story was updated at 7:28 a.m., June 2, with more details.
— This story was updated at 1:22 p.m., June 2, to indicate the man was located.
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