PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
A 50-year-old man and his 6-year-old nephew who were reported missing in the Columbia River Gorge have been found safe after a chilly night in the woods, sheriff's deputies said.
The two were dropped off at Larch Mountain at about 4 p.m. Thursday and were expected to be picked up by family at Multnomah Falls between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. They didn't arrive as expected, and a family member called the sheriff's office at 1 a.m. to report them missing.
Sheriff's deputies said 50-year-old Dean Adams, from Estacada, and his nephew, 6-year-old Kyle Miller, from Gresham, did not expect to spend the night in the woods, so they didn't have extra supplies. Temperatures in Portland and the Gorge were chillier than normal overnight.
Adams told search teams that he and his nephew took a wrong turn on the trail. Given the late hour, he said they decided to wait until daylight to continue hiking.
"They weren't prepared to be [out] overnight. They were expecting to have a short walk and get back to this area fairly quickly," said sheriff's spokesman Derrick Peterson. "They had some light clothing on, but like I said, the temperatures weren't so cold that they couldn't survive that."
Four crews of three searched the trails around Multnomah Falls during the morning hours. Adams and Miller were found by 10:30 a.m. near the Horsetail Falls Trail. They were in good health and didn't require any medical attention.
Rescuers then escorted the pair down the Oneonta Trail to the trailhead.
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