Searchers Find Lost Hiker Near Walton Lake

Even well-equipped hikers can get lost — but that can make the search effort a lot easier, as Crook County Sheriff?s Search and Rescue crews saw in finding a Bend man Wednesday afternoon near Walton Lake, northeast of Prineville.

A lost hiker was reported around 4:25 p.m., said sheriff?s Sgt. James Savage. James Bushaw, 59, used his cell phone to contact the sheriff?s office, saying he?d left his camp at Walton Lake for a hike and became lost.

Bushaw said he?d walked for about two hours northeast of the campground and got ?turned around,? according to Savage.

Savage and sheriff?s SAR crews responded to the area and began a search. And at around 6:20 p.m., he was found on Forest Service Road 2630, about 1 1/2 miles from Walton Lake, Savage said.

Bushaw needed no medical attention and was brought back to his campsite at Walton Lake, after making phone contact with relatives in Bend.

Savage said Bushaw took the right steps ?that led to him being found quickly.?

?He carried with him enough food, water, a whistle, and a fully-charged cell phone,? the sergeant said. ?He also made the correct decision to call law enforcement as soon as he realized he was lost and the sun was going to go down soon.?

But Savage later confirmed that Bushaw did not have a couple other handy items that could have helped keep him from becoming lost in the first place — a map and/or a compass.