In search of gold, a Seattle man got lost near Arlington

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, October 25, 2017

ARLINGTON — A Seattle man was cold and battered but otherwise fine after becoming lost Tuesday night while looking for gold north of Arlington.

Mapping software and data about the location of the man’s cellphone helped lead rescue crews to his whereabouts, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The man, 61, called his girlfriend and said he’d lost his way. She called 911. Patrol deputies reached the man on his cellphone and had him dial 911. That was done in an attempt to locate him using the county’s emergency dispatch system, which can triangulate cellphone calls.

It took a couple of tries, but crews on the sheriff’s SnoHawk1 helicopter were able to pinpoint the man’s location and plot a route for ground searchers.

Rescuers used mapping software as they cut through thick brush. They gave the man a ride to his girlfriend’s vehicle.