Scott Bertrand, age 54, visiting from Texas went missing while hiking Mount Lemmon Thursday morning. He was found Sunday and reunited with his family.
He was reported missing by his wife Thursday night when he did not return by nightfall. The couple is from Texas and unfamiliar with the area so his wife was unable to provide a specific area where her husband had planned to hike.
Searchers found his car at the Green Mountain trailhead, with help from his cell phone service provider, but did not find him. After that they were unable track him via GPS. Either the cell phone was turned off or the battery died. Saturday the Green Mountain and Brush Corral trails were searched by 10 volunteers on foot, two search dogs and their handlers, four sheriff’s deputies on ATVs and two helicopters.
On Sunday July 28, 2013, at approximately 8:55 a.m., the Pima County Sheriff’s Department received information from a rancher that believed he spotted someone on the north side of the Santa Catalina Mountains, near Davis Springs. He was able to provide global positioning system (GPS) coordinates of where he believed the man was last seen, and the Sheriff’s Air Unit was directed to that location. They located Mr. Scott Bertrand in that area and were able to successfully rescue him. He was found in good health and transported to a safe location were other rescue personnel awaited to further evaluate his condition. He was ultimately reunited with his family at the Sheriff’s Department Rincon District station.
While at the station, a second evaluation was performed by medical personnel, and it was determined that Mr. Bertrand did not need any further medical attention and was not transported to the hospital.
The rescue was the first of its kind utilizing the new Department helicopter and rescue hoist.