Story at a glance
- Harry Burleigh went missing on May 6 after getting lost during a camping trip near Twin Lakes.
- The 69-year-old was reported missing by his wife the next day when he didn’t return home.
- Search and rescue teams located Burleigh 17 days later in stable condition.
A 69-year-old man who went missing after a camping trip was found alive on Sunday after spending 17 nights alone and lost in the Oregon wilderness, authorities announced.
Harry Burleigh was supposed to return home from a camping trip near Twin Lakes on May 6. His wife reported him missing when he hadn’t returned by the next day, and search and rescue teams set out to find him.
On May 8, Burleigh’s car was discovered near a trail, and on May 16, the searchers found a makeshift shelter and a tackle box, however, they were unable to locate Burleigh.
When search crews saw evidence that Burleigh had been nearby they left packages of food and notes letting him know to stay put if he found his way back to the site and that they were looking for him.
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On Sunday afternoon, after returning to an area where they had discovered a shelter he had built previously and calling out his name, search and rescue found him, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
“He was found to be walking and complaining of minor pain, but was in stable condition,” the sheriff’s office said.
Burleigh was removed from the area by helicopter and brought to the hospital, where he is in stable condition.
“This was the outcome we all have been looking for in this case,” Sgt. Brad O’Dell said, adding, “The Sheriff’s Office wants to thank everyone who was involved in this mission.”
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