Update: Wilderness camp walkaway found OK

Searchers on horseback Thursday morning found an Illinois teen who walked away without shoes from a remote wilderness camp in northern Lake County more than 24 hours earlier, officials said.

Lake County Sheriff Phil McDonald said Kevin Mulert, 18, of Deerfield, Illinois, was found around 10:30 a.m., about 1 1/2 miles southeast of the camp where was reported missing.

Searchers provided initial medical care and water, as it appeared he was dehydrated, McDonald said.

A National Guard helicopter was reportedly taking him to St. Charles Bend for an examination, the sheriff said, adding that Mulert’s family and the camp program had been notified.

Authorities said they would provide more information as available and concluded their update: “The Lake County Sheriff’s Office extends their thanks to all the search and rescue personnel, resources and partner agencies providing assistance during the search.”

Mulert had last been last seen around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday and discovered to be missing about 8 a.m. from the therapeutic nature camp about six miles south of Frederick Butte.

Thursday morning, about 30 searchers from search & rescue teams out of Lake, Deschutes, and Klamath counties had converged to search a 5-mile area around the program’s camp site.

Search teams on the ground included personnel on horses, ATVs, motor vehicles and on foot. A search canine also was expected to join the effort..

Planes and a helicopter from the Civil Air Patrol and Oregon National Guard were joining the search from the air.

OSP Lt. Gregg Hastings declined to name the wilderness program at the request of program officials.

The location was in northern Lake County, a remote area about 20 miles south of Highway 20 and the community of Hampton, about 60 miles southeast of Bend.

Mulert was not wearing shoes when he walked away undetected from the camp during the early morning hours, troopers said.