Troopers received a call reporting a hiker who was lost around Wishbone Lake near Sutton on Tuesday night.

A caregiver called in to troopers at 11:09 pm on Tuesday night reporting that 48-year-old Sutton resident, Gerhard Jakits, had gone on a walk at 3 pm and had not returned. The caller reported that Jakits had called in at approximately 10:50 pm and indicated that he was disoriented and lost somewhere around Wishbone Lake prior to his cellphone battery going dead.

According to the caller, Jakits was not prepared for being out in the elements for the night, and was not prepared for the weather or long exposure.

Troopers responded with LifeMed to search for the missing man. LifeMed, using Night Vision Goggles, and Forward Looking Infrared, were able to locate Jakits on an un-named ridge close to an ATV trail in the area.

Following the location of Jakit’s whereabouts, troopers hiked in and assisted him in hiking out on foot, the trooper dispatch reported. Troopers say that Jakits “was cold, wet, and tired, but otherwise uninjured.” Once extricated from the elements, Jakits was escorted to his home.

Troopers advise hikers to always be prepared with proper gear for varying weather, lighting conditions and emergencies when venturing out for a hike.

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  Alaska, flir, gerhard jakits, hiker, lifemed, night goggles, search and rescue, sutton