A hiker found his own way out of the woods Tuesday night after losing his way.
Volunteers with the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad and Greene County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched just before 7PM when a woman reported her husband had not returned from a hike at his expected time. The man had parked along Greene Mountain Road near Horsehitch Gap and had planned to return by 5:00 PM.
As that time passed, his wife was unable to reach him by cell phone, and the man had not called for assistance. His wife found his truck and called 9-1-1.
Squad volunteers and sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene and began to gather information. Incident commander Gabby Holt began to arrange for search operations and for a K-9 unit to be brought to the scene. While responders were preparing for the search, the man was able to call his wife.
The hiker said he had gotten lost on the trail and had followed a creek down the mountain until he reached a house on Kelly Gap Road. The man said he had not had any cell service while in the mountains, and was able to use the homeowner’s phone to call and report that he was ok.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the location and brought him back to safety and his vehicle shortly before 8pm.
