SLADE, Kentucky — Rescue crews found a man who was reported missing more than two weeks ago in the Red River Gorge, a wilderness area of steep cliffs and rugged terrain in eastern Kentucky.
Searchers found 48-year-old Scott A. Hern near a cliff Saturday afternoon after hearing someone calling for help, according to the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Teamwho responds to emergencies in the area. Hern was hiking in the area looking for waterfalls, his family told searchers.
Hern was airlifted from the rugged terrain after Wolfe County rescuers called Kentucky State Police for assistance.
Early last week, search teams began an intensive search for Hern, who is from Ohio, using dogs and information from a journal in which Hern wrote about locations he wanted to explore in the Red River Gorge.
The rescue team wrote in a social media post that Hern’s car had been parked at the gorge since July 6 and that his family had not seen him since July 5.
Search crews returned to an area they had checked Saturday and decided to continue north along a creek. They found a shoe print and evidence of a hiking stick in an area not often visited by hikers, the Wolfe County Rescue Squad said.
“We continued our search, but hope faded,” the search team wrote.
The message said that Hern needed medical attention after his rescue, but no information about his health was available as of Sunday afternoon.
According to the search team, a sighting of Hern was reported on July 13, but this turned out to be unconfirmed.