WIMAUMA, Fla. — A hiker lost in Little Manatee River State Park has been rescued, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crews said.
Fire crews said their dispatch center received a 911 call around 2:47 p.m. Wednesday from a man who told them he was lost in the woods. Crews said they sprung into action to search for the disoriented hiker, who had reportedly been without water for approximately four hours.
But thanks to the hiker's phone GPS, dispatch was able to pinpoint exactly where in Little Manatee River State Park the lost man was and convey the information to first responders. It still took time to get to him, however. Rescuers said they had to traverse the heavily wooded area for more than an hour before finding him.
"We used some of the instruments that we have on our helicopter that aid in search and rescue and we were able to find him," Marco Villarreal from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. "There's a lot of trees, a lot of brush, and he was quite a bit away from any of the known trails."
Once they got to him, first responders initiated "advanced life support" procedures as deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office got ready to lift the hiker out.
“You never know when you’re going to get those calls,” Villarreal said.
He was airlifted to an area hospital where he was listed in "stable" condition, fire rescue said. No first responders were hurt.
