2 missing Crystal Mountain skiers walk out OK
CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN, Wash. - The two missing men at the Crystal Mountain ski resort near Mount Rainier National Park are OK.
Pierce County sheriff's Deputy J. Sousley says Taylor Cameron and Jason Meilcarek, both 27, walked out on their own and called about 10 a.m. Friday from a campground in the Ohanapecosh area, about 20 miles south of the resort.
The two said they were a little tired and dehydrated, but otherwise fine.
They had been reported overdue Thursday night, and the Ski Patrol found their car in a parking lot at the resort. Searchers followed tracks that headed east through an out-of-bounds area into Yakima County.
Cameron said they were fine until the fog rolled in pretty heavily.
"We scouted our line and it came in pretty bad and ended up not where we wanted to be," Cameron said.
Meilcarek said despite the fog, they weren't too worried.
"It wasn't a really big problem for us, we just knew we were a little bit out of our way from where we wanted to be," Meilcarek said.
The men said they were well equipped for an extended trip, but did not have a cell phone. Deputies said the men made their way to Highway 410 on the east side of the resort where they ran into a driver who was turning around because the roadway is closed for the winter. The driver told them the ski resort was just back on 410 about 5 miles and the two men thought they could just walk back. But it turned out it was farther and the men got turned around in the foggy darkness.
They eventually ended up following Highway 123 for several miles until they reached the Ohanapecosh campground, where one called their girlfriend collect to let her know where they were.
Rescue crews picked them up and flew them by helicopter back to the ski resort.
The men live in Seattle, but are originally from Vermont. One was on skis; the other on a snowboard.
And both had praise for the crews looking for them:
"We just wanted to thank everyone who was there looking out for us, they did a fine job and did their job well and make our county proud," Meilcarek.
Pierce County sheriff's Deputy J. Sousley says Taylor Cameron and Jason Meilcarek, both 27, walked out on their own and called about 10 a.m. Friday from a campground in the Ohanapecosh area, about 20 miles south of the resort.
The two said they were a little tired and dehydrated, but otherwise fine.
They had been reported overdue Thursday night, and the Ski Patrol found their car in a parking lot at the resort. Searchers followed tracks that headed east through an out-of-bounds area into Yakima County.
Cameron said they were fine until the fog rolled in pretty heavily.
"We scouted our line and it came in pretty bad and ended up not where we wanted to be," Cameron said.
Meilcarek said despite the fog, they weren't too worried.
"It wasn't a really big problem for us, we just knew we were a little bit out of our way from where we wanted to be," Meilcarek said.
The men said they were well equipped for an extended trip, but did not have a cell phone. Deputies said the men made their way to Highway 410 on the east side of the resort where they ran into a driver who was turning around because the roadway is closed for the winter. The driver told them the ski resort was just back on 410 about 5 miles and the two men thought they could just walk back. But it turned out it was farther and the men got turned around in the foggy darkness.
They eventually ended up following Highway 123 for several miles until they reached the Ohanapecosh campground, where one called their girlfriend collect to let her know where they were.
Rescue crews picked them up and flew them by helicopter back to the ski resort.
The men live in Seattle, but are originally from Vermont. One was on skis; the other on a snowboard.
And both had praise for the crews looking for them:
"We just wanted to thank everyone who was there looking out for us, they did a fine job and did their job well and make our county proud," Meilcarek.
