Just before 9 pm, deputies responded to a report that a hunter had become lost in Shawnee State Forest, and his phone died. They met up with the man’s friend, who was waiting by a truck at State Forest Road 19.
The fire department started a search, and dispatch contacted ODNR. ODNR said they had an agent on the way from Vinton County. Thirty minutes later, a first responder reported they heard someone yelling in the distance but lost contact with the man.
The fire department requested an infrared drone to help search for the man. Dispatch got permission for ODNR to start the search on state property.
First responders got a drone in the area around 11:30 pm, and OSP Aviation also responded to the search.
OSP got a visual on the man at 12:30 am and Union FD found him about 45 minutes later. Medics checked the man out, but he did not want to go to the hospital.
Later that morning, a Tempevale Road resident called to complain someone had cut a gate post on their property during the search for the lost hunter.
The fire department pulled up while the deputy was there. They said they weren’t sure who cut the gate, but they’d talk with the chief about getting it fixed.
