After a 17-hour-long search effort led by the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, a missing hiker from Michigan, Jason Bruscha, was located at about 2:30 p.m. on Monday.
Pima County deputies coordinating the search effort received a phone call from the hiker’s uncle who had initially reported his nephew missing. The uncle told deputies his nephew had just called him and said that he was at the Saddlebrook Country Club from where he was allowed to make a phone call.
When deputies met up with Mr. Bruscha and after an initial evaluation, they found him to be dehydrated and suffering from some minor injuries to his legs. He was transported to Northwest Hospital in Oro Valley by ambulance.
It appears that Mr. Bruscha intended to take a loop trail that would have brought him back to Catalina State Park; however, at some point he took a wrong trail and ended up hiking in the wrong direction, away from the parking lot. Eventually, he was able to make his way to the Saddlebrook Country Club and asked for help.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is reminding hikers to always dress according to the predicted weather conditions and take into account that these conditions may change over the course of the day. Take plenty of water, some food, a first aid kit, and a cell phone in order to be able to call for help in an emergency.