FRENCHVILLE – Answered prayers brought the search for a lost hunter to an end Friday in the Quehanna Wild area in Clearfield County.
According to a previously-published GANT News report, 86-year-old James Dobson of Driftwood, Pa., found himself lost Thursday while hunting.
He was reported missing after he never met his hunting partner at noon, and search and rescue crews descended upon the Wild area Thursday night into the early-morning hours Friday.
Scott McKenzie of Frenchville is a member of the Clearfield County Sheriff’s Posse, and hikes this area often. “I don’t need a map or compass; I know it like the back of my hand.
“It’s a rugged country out there … the terrain is brutal. It’s not for someone who’s lost.” So, McKenzie set out on the Mohawk Trail to find Dobson.
During his approximate five-mile trek, he met a woman who said her friend was “prophetic” and could see the lost hunter near a body of water.
He headed towards a beaver pond near Corporation Dam, and occasionally hollered Dobson’s name. Then, Dobson hollered back “that’s me.”
“He was no more than 100 yards from that beaver pond,” McKenzie said. “He told me, ‘I prayed for someone to rescue me.’ “I said, ‘well, I prayed I would find you. God brought me to you.’”
McKenzie made his way to Dobson and wasn’t empty-handed, as he brought him water, a sub sandwich and snacks. He said Dobson had fallen several times but was in “good shape.”
Multiple agencies assisted with the search including Mountaineer Search & Rescue, Elkland Search & Rescue, Karthaus Fire Department, Karthaus Ambulance, Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.