Missing hiker found uninjured

A hiker who had been missing between Nesquehoning and Jim Thorpe was found Monday afternoon.

Mark Nalesnik, Carbon County Emergency Management coordinator, said emergency responders found the hiker around 3:30 p.m. on the other side of the Lehigh River in the Glen Onoko area of the Lehigh Gorge State Park.

Nalesnik said he believes the hiker, a 37-year-old man, whose name has not been released, is from Mahoning Township.

He said the search initially began around 1-2 a.m. Monday in an old strip mining area in Nesquehoning, but was suspended for the safety of the emergency crews due to the location, as that area is known for its rugged terrain and mining.

“It seems as though he was in the general area where we found him the whole time,” Nalesnik said. “The reason we looked in the first location is that’s where the cellphone got pinged two times.”

Nalesnik explained how emergency responders were able to locate the hiker.

“At some point down in the Glen Onoko area, someone was heard hollering for help across the river,” he said. “Then the search and rescue K-9 team went right to the subject, and the dog tracked him.”

Nalesnik said the hiker was “a little worn out after spending the night in the woods.”

“He was in relatively good condition; maybe a little dehydrated,” he said. “He was taken into the ambulance for some dehydration treatment.”

Nalesnik said numerous emergency responders assisted in the search, including the Nesquehoning Fire Department, Jim Thorpe Fire Department, Northeast Search and Rescue, Nesquehoning Police Department, Jim Thorpe Police Department, Mahoning Township Police Department, park rangers at the Lehigh Gorge State Park, and Lehighton Ambulance.

“We’re all just happy that it turned out as well as it did, because a lot of times these searches don’t end in a good way; this one did,” he said. “The subject got help, wasn’t injured, got him to safety, exceptional volunteer work.”

Reporter Amy Miller contributed to this report.