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'Unbelievably Good Ending' in Search for Hiker, 89

Sheriff's office in Idaho says local residents on horseback rescued Bing Olbum
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 12, 2024 12:12 PM CDT
Missing Hiker, 89, Found Safe After 10 Days
The sheriff's office released this photo of Bing Olbum.   (Custer County Sheriff's Office)

In what the Custer County Sheriff's Office says is an "extraordinary outcome," an 89-year-old hiker in Idaho was found alive five days after he was reported missing and 10 days after he was last seen. Bing Olbum hadn't been seen since Aug. 1, when a family member dropped him off at Hunter Creek Trailhead, part of the Salmon-Challis National Forest, with five days of supplies, ABC News reports. He was reported overdue and missing on Aug. 6 after he failed to make it to the exit point in the McDonald Creek area. On Sunday, the sheriff's office said Olbum had been found safe and returned home, reports the East Idaho News.

The sheriff's office said crews searched all possible trails, with helicopters assisting the search. "His camp was located late in the evening of August 10," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post. "Local residents ventured out on horseback and located him at approximately 12:30 am on August 11." The sheriff's office added: "Sheriff Levi Maydole is thankful for the relentless efforts of our wonderful community in providing this outcome. Bing's will to survive has resulted in an unbelievably good ending to this incident. We hope that his recovery is swift, and he will be enjoying time with his family and friends." (More Idaho stories.)

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