Lost mushroom picker found safe
A missing hiker is medically evaluated by Spokane Valley Fire Department crews after being hosted to safety by the department's helicopter rescue medics.
(Photo courtesy SPOKANE VALLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT)
BONNERS FERRY — A lost mushroom picker was safely located Saturday morning, according to Boundary County Sheriff Dave Kramer.
Bourathaphon Inthanthanya had been reported missing early Wednesday evening when he did not arrive at an agreed-upon destination to meet with the rest of his foraging group.
He was taken to a hospital to be checked out, as a precaution, according to Boundary County Sheriff's officials.
“We are so grateful for the dedication and hard work of our county volunteer Search and Rescue Team and all those who supported the team during this search,” Kramer said.
The Boundary County Sheriff’s Office and Boundary County Search & Dive Rescue were assisted by search aircraft from Flathead County, Mont., and Spokane County, Wash.
Inthanthanya, from Redding, Calif., was looking for wild mushrooms in the Smith Creek area Wednesday when he became lost. Officials described him as being in his 50s.
He is not the first person to go missing while searching for either mushrooms or huckleberries in the mountains of Boundary County.
In July 2022, a man picking huckleberries in the Bethlehem Mine/Camp Nine Road area was lost in the mountains for several days before he was located safe and in good spirits by a rescue helicopter crew from Two-Bear Air Rescue of Kalispell, Mont.