Father and son hunters lost in Juniper Dunes Wilderness for 12 hours

A father and son spent about 12 hours lost in the Juniper Dunes Wilderness area after getting turned around in the fog.

The pair went hunting Friday around noon in the more than 7,000-acre recreation area about 30 miles north of Pasco. As they parked, the father left his cellphone shut off inside his car, said Franklin County Fire District 3 Chief Mike Harris.

While they were out in the wilderness, the fog rolled in. When they decided to return to their pickup, they started heading in the wrong direction.

Around 10:30 p.m., family members called police to report that they hadn’t come home. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and fire district crews began hunting for them about midnight.

With three utility terrain vehicles, they found the truck and their footprints.

As the fog cleared, the searchers spotted some lights at a nearby dairy and headed in that direction.

The hunch paid off when searchers discovered the two at a shop at the dairy where they had built a campfire while they waited for someone to come home.

They were able to stay warm by the fire until they were found them, Harris said.

It’s not uncommon for people to get lost in the wilderness area northeast of Pasco, he said.

Off-road vehicles often break down in the dunes. Many aren’t able to get in touch with people because of spotty cell service or their cellphones run out of power.

Harris recommended people heading out into wilderness areas let someone know their plans including where they’ll be and when they plan to return to help searchers if there’s a problem.

He also recommended taking a cellphone into the wilderness. While many hunters might want to leave the phone in the car, Harris said it’s better to take it, even if it’s turned off.