Missing Hudson Valley Hiker Found 5 Days Later
A man who went missing while hiking in the Hudson Valley was finally found in the woods five days later.
On Tuesday around 11 a.m., 60-year-old Wayne Lamicela from Middletown in Delaware County left his home to go hiking in the Big Indian Wilderness in Ulster County. Around 6:30 p.m., Lamicela called 911 and reported that he was lost and needed help.
Lamicela was last seen in the area of Seager Trailhead just off Drybrook Road in western Ulster County.
For five days, over a dozen DEC Forest Rangers, a DEC K-9 Unit, a New York State Police aviation unit helicopter with infrared camera, four K-9 units from the NYS Federation of Search and Rescue teams and volunteer firefighters from six area fire departments searched the area for Lamicela without any luck.
On Saturday around 1 p.m., a caretaker for a private property in Ulster County found Lamicela in a wooded area while checking the property, WBNG reports.
Lamicela was barefoot but still able to walk on his own. The person who spotted Lamicela called police and helped the 60-year-old to the end of the Hiram Todd Road in Hardenburgh.
After a DEC forest ranger positively identified Lamicela, he was taken to the Margaretville Community Hospital for further evaluation and monitoring.
Close to 500 people were estimated to be involved in the search.
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